Class Books to learn Letter Sounds

by Jennifer W
(Minnesota)

(I teach kindergarten.)

Every time we learn a new letter sound in reading, we make a class book.

First, I write the same sentence 22 times on my large chart paper (because I have 22 students.)

I'll write (for example) B is for... We then brainstorm (discuss/don't write on the chart yet) as a class things that start with B.

To help kick start the brainstorm session, I made picture/word cards with B items on them to show. (Be sure if a child's name starts with B that it goes on the chart!)

Next, each child gets a chance to pick one thing that starts with B and I write it on the chart with their name behind it. (It's alright if words are repeated; we rarely found 22 different things for each letter.)

Each child will get a paper with the sentence B is for _____ on the bottom of the page. They will find their sentence on the chart and copy their B word onto their paper then illustrate.

At the beginning of the year, I took small slips of paper and wrote each child's word on it for them to copy since finding it on the chart was really hard for a lot of kids. Now, after so much practice, they can find it on the chart themselves.

Once the class books are laminated and bound together, I put them in our class book library and students can read them while at the library.

The books are also available to use at the writing center. They love reading them over and over again!