Are you looking for letter Aa activities to use with your preschooler or kindergartner? Maybe you’re a classroom teacher browsing for more ideas.
Research tells us that a direct, explicit approach to teaching the alphabet is more effective than indirect teaching. Enjoy the crafts, art ideas, and book list, but know that using a scripted routine like the one below is the most efficient way to teach letters and sounds. Make it your own!
How to introduce letter Aa
- Say words that begin with Aa: Say each word after me. (Emphasize the /ă/ at the beginning of each word as you say it.) Apple. Astronaut. Ax. Animal. Add. What sound do you hear at the beginning of each word? The sound is /ă/.
- Talk about what your mouth is doing as you say the sound: Look at what my mouth is doing as I say /ă/. Now you try. Put your fingers between your teeth as you say the sound. Is your mouth open a lot or a little? Put your hand on your throat as you say /ă/. Is it a quiet or noisy sound? (noisy)
- Introduce the letter on a flash card: (Hold up the letter A card in uppercase or lowercase.) This is the letter A. When we see this card, we say “A spells /ă/.” Your turn. (Students: “A spells /ă/.”)
How to practice writing uppercase letter A
- Sky-write the letter: To make the letter A, we start at the top and slant down. Then we go back to the top and slant down the other way. Then go across. Watch me put my hand in the air and write an A in the sky. I start at the top and slant down. Then I go back to the top and slant down the other way. Then I go across. Now you try. Start at the top and slant down. Then go back to the top and slant down the other way. Then go across.
- Have students finger-write the letter: Make an A by moving your finger on the table. Start at the top and slant down. Then go back to the top and slant down the other way. Then go across. (Other options: sand or salt tray, shaving cream, etc.) Now do the same thing while saying “A spells /ă/.” Remember to underline the A when you say /ă/. (Practice multiple times.)
How to practice writing lowercase letter a
- Sky-write the letter: To make the letter a, we start in the middle. Then we pull back, around, up, and down. Watch me put my hand in the air and write an a in the sky. I start in the middle, pull back, around, up, and down. Now you try. Put your finger in the air. Start in the middle. Pull back, around, up, and down.
- Have students finger-write the letter: Make an a by moving your finger on the table. Begin in the middle. Pull back, around, up, and down. (Other options: sand or salt tray, shaving cream, etc.) Now do the same thing while saying “a spells /ă/.” Remember to underline the a when you say /ă/. (Practice multiple times.)
Other letter Aa activities
Free printables
- A is for Apple (dot sticker page)
- Little Letter A Book (rhymes and songs)
- My Letter A Book (with photographs)
More alphabet resources
- Alphabet picture cards from A-Z
- Beginning sound clip cards
- Beginning sound coloring pages
- Beginning sound match mats
Find the rest of the alphabet HERE.
Looking for a done-for-you alphabet curriculum?
Alphabet Curriculum for Preschool
$36.00
Our curriculum includes lessons for teaching both upper and lowercase letter names and sounds. You’ll get three lessons per letter, built-in review, simple handwriting practice, rhyming, syllable counting, phonemic awareness, and a whole lot more!
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Members of The Measured Mom Plus get access to even more printables – plus helpful video trainings and no-print resources! Not a member yet? Learn more here.
Lisa
Hi!
Whenever I click on your freebies for email subscribers, It doesn’t take me anywhere! What am I doing wrong? Love your site and thanks for sharing!
Lisa
Kate Dowling
Hi Lisa!
Please check that your ad blocker is turned off, so that all links are “clickable.” Here is the page for Subscriber Freebies: https://www.themeasuredmom.com/top-ten-secrets-great-teaching/ You must enter the password found in Anna’s current newsletter. Be sure to use capital letters, exactly as provided in Anna’s newsletter. We hope you are able to access these wonderful resources!
Olusola
This blog is so amazing ,helpful and very interesting. I am do excited I found this blog. It has really helped me and I am really loving my profession as a teacher.
kaicy
Thank you teacher anna! love them a lot
Anna G
You’re very welcome, Kaicy!
chesda
your website so great. i’m very interested in this. i want to find hand writing alphabet. where do i get it? and i want to purchase some ebook in this website. i want to download it by myself.
Anna G
Hi Chesda!
Here are my handwriting pages: https://www.themeasuredmom.com/teaching-handwriting-2/
And here are all my digital products: https://www.themeasuredmom.com/shop/
chesda
your website so great. i’m very interesting. i want to find hand writing alphabet. where do i get it? and i to purchase some ebook in this website.
Linda
Awesome website! I appreciate all the hours of work you’ve put into it and all the freebies you offer!
Anna G
Thank you for the encouragement, Linda!
Valma
I just purchased your letter of the week Book for pre-school does that mail out or can I download it, if so were would I find the download. I love your website I am a in home daycare and I prepare my pre school children for kindergarten.
Anna G
Hi Valma! It looks like you had a typo in your email address when you ordered the file. I changed it and resent. Please send me an email at anna(at)themeasuredmom(dot)com if you still don’t see it! Aol can also be finicky.
Natalie Snowden
Hey. I’m looking for the printable for the chart and dice apple activity pictured at the top under the Activities & free printables for preschooler for the Letter A. Where can I find it?
Thank you! Love your blog!
Anna Geiger
Here you go, Natalie – http://thisreadingmama.com/learning-the-alphabet-letter-a-pack/?ap_id=annageig
Natalie
Thanks! Apparently it’s not free 🙁 I think it’s offered in a bundle for $10. Totally worth it I’m sure, but I can’t afford to purchase anything else right now.
Anna Geiger
Actually you can get all the parts individually for free. This post has all the letters: http://thisreadingmama.com/free-abc-printable-packs/
Laura
THank YOU!!! I have been spending and spending books to teach my 2 and 3 year old the alphabet and its all paper work. I was so excited to see all the activities!
Anna Geiger
You’re so welcome, Laura! I find activities to be much better than seatwork for small children – my sons have certainly responded well to it. 🙂
Heather
Hello. In this picture for letter Aa activities and printable is a picture with a dice and a page with what looks like ladders. It looks like a graphing activity. Where would i find this printable? And do you have it for all letters? Thank you.
Anna Geiger
Hi Heather! That’s part of This Reading Mama’s Learning the Alphabet curriculum. You can learn more about it here: http://thisreadingmama.com/learning-the-alphabet/
You can buy the whole series for $10 or get each letter pack by itself for free. I usually use her search bar and search for “Letter A printable pack” or whatever letter I’m hunting for.
Amanda
Just wanted to say a big thank you for sharing your ideas and resources!
Janelle
I LOVE your website. It has a lot of interesting stuff for preschoolers.
i was wondering do you have any second and third grade resources. I have a niece who is seven and would really like to use some of your resources with her.
Anna Geiger
Hi Janelle! My oldest is seven, so I do have some resources for older children, even though my focus has been preschool so far. They are easy to find because I tag all my post with the ages they are recommended for. Just go to the search bar (top right under the menu bar) and put in “second grade.” Everything that fits that age group will come up.
elizabeth
I was so excites to wake up to this huge alphabet resource in my email inbox today! Thanks for all your hard work. I will definitely be using these in my Montessori school.
Anna Geiger
You’re very welcome, Elizabeth!
Kayla Sandoval
I am so grateful that I was able to find your website! You have so many fun ideas and things to with the kids. Definitely recommending your website! Take care and keep up the awesome work!
Anna Geiger
I’m so thankful you found me too, Kayla! I really appreciate you spreading the word. 🙂
JOYCE
I would like to learn more on how to teach the alphabets to beginners.
Anna Geiger
Joyce, I haven’t yet written a post about introducing the alphabet to toddlers, but I think you’ll love this post from This Reading Mama. She has some wonderful tips about first introducing the alphabet: http://thisreadingmama.com/teaching-toddlers-the-alphabet/