Are you looking for letter Yy 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 Yy
- Say words that begin with Yy: Say each word after me. (Emphasize the /y/ at the beginning of each word as you say it.) Yawn. Yell. Yuck. Yellow. Yo-yo. What sound did you hear at the beginning of each word? The sound is /y/.
- Talk about what your mouth is doing as you say the sound: Look at what my mouth is doing as I say /y/. Now you try. Where in your mouth are you making the /y/ sound? Put your hand on your throat as you say /y/. Is it a quiet or noisy sound? (noisy)
- Introduce the letter on a flash card: (Hold up the letter Y card in uppercase or lowercase.) This is the letter Y. When we see this card, we say “Y spells /y/.” Your turn. (Students: “Y spells /y/.”)
How to practice writing uppercase letter Y
- Sky-write the letter: To make the letter Y, we start at the top. We do a little slant in. Then another slant in, and down. Watch me put my hand in the air and write a Y in the sky. I slant in. Then I make another slant in, and down. Now you try. Start at the top. Slant in. Make another slant in, and down.
- Have students finger-write the letter: Make a Y by moving your finger on the table. Start at the top. Slant in. Make another slant in, and down. (Other options: sand or salt tray, shaving cream, etc.) Now do the same thing while saying “Y spells /y/.” Remember to underline the Y when you say /y/. (Practice multiple times.)
How to practice writing lowercase letter y
- Sky-write the letter: To make the letter y, we start in the middle. We slant in. Then we make a long slant down. Watch me put my hand in the air and write a y in the sky. I start in the middle. I slant in. Then I make a long slant down. Now you try. Put your finger in the air. Start in the middle. Slant in. Then make a long slant down.
- Have students finger-write the letter: Make a y by moving your finger on the table. Start in the middle. Slant in. Then make a long slant down. (Other options: sand or salt tray, shaving cream, etc.) Now do the same thing while saying “y spells /y/.” Remember to underline the y when you say /y/. (Practice multiple times.)
Other letter Yy activities
Crafts
Book List
Fine Motor
Sensory Play
Math Connections
Free Printables
Dot Sticker Page (Y is for Yo-yo)
Little Letter Book (rhymes and songs)
More alphabet resources
- Alphabet picture cards from A-Z
- Beginning sound clip cards
- Beginning sound coloring pages
- Beginning sound match mats
- Letter hunt & find worksheets
Find the rest of the alphabet HERE.
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[…] 3 Dinosaur’s letter Y printable pack. Then we incorporated some math into the lesson with The Measured Mom’s yarn measuring activity. The lesson wrapped up with some painting using pieces of yarn. This […]