Letter A Lesson Plan for Preschool & Pre-K: Fun 5-Day Guide to Sounds, Writing & Crafts

Teach the letter 'A' with our free 5-day lesson plan for preschool and kindergarten! This guide features fun, multi-sensory activities to master letter recognition, the short 'a' sound, and uppercase writing. Includes a daily 20-minute plan with crafts, songs, tracing practice, and differentiation tips. Perfect for building early literacy skills in the classroom or at home.

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Lesson Plan: All About the Awesome Letter 'A'

Subject: Early Literacy - Letter Recognition

Grade Level: Pre-K / Kindergarten (Ages 4-5)

Time Allotment: 20 minutes per day, over 5 days

Learning Objectives

By the end of this 5-day lesson, the learner will be able to:

  • Identify the uppercase letter 'A' from a group of other letters.
  • Make the short '/a/' sound, as in "apple."
  • Trace or form the uppercase letter 'A' with guidance.
  • Name at least two objects that start with the letter 'A'.

Materials Needed

  • Letter 'A' flashcard (uppercase 'A')
  • A small basket or box ("The 'A' Basket")
  • Items that start with 'A' (e.g., apple, toy airplane, picture of an alligator, toy ant)
  • Tray with sand, salt, or shaving cream for tracing
  • Paper (plain and lined)
  • Crayons or markers
  • Construction paper (green or red), glue stick, scissors (for adult use)
  • Picture books with clear text
  • (Optional) Play-doh

Lesson Structure (5-Day Plan)

Day 1: Meet the Letter 'A' (20 minutes)

1. Introduction (5 minutes) - Hook & Objectives

  • Hook: Start with a fun question. "Have you ever crunched a yummy, red... apple? The word 'apple' starts with a super special letter. Today, we're going to meet that letter! It's the letter 'A'!"
  • Objectives: "By the end of our time today, you'll know what the letter 'A' looks like and the sound it makes!"

2. Body (10 minutes) - I Do, We Do, You Do

  • I Do (Instructor Modeling):
    • Show the 'A' flashcard. "This is the uppercase or big letter 'A'. It looks like a tall tent. It makes the 'ah' sound. My turn to say it: 'ah... ah... apple.' Listen again: 'ah... ah... alligator.'"
    • Pull an apple and a picture of an alligator from the 'A' Basket. Emphasize the beginning sound.
  • We Do (Guided Practice):
    • "Now, let's make the sound together! Ready? 'ah... ah... ah.' Great job!"
    • "Let's draw the letter 'A' in the air. Get your magic finger ready! We go up the mountain, down the mountain, and a little line across. Let's do it again!"
  • You Do (Independent Practice):
    • Lay out the 'A' card and two other letter cards (like 'M' and 'S'). "Can you find the letter 'A'? Point to it!"
    • Formative Assessment: Observe if the child can correctly identify the letter 'A'.

3. Conclusion (5 minutes) - Recap & Song

  • Recap: "Wow! You learned so much today. What letter did we meet?" (Wait for 'A'). "And what sound does it make?" (Wait for 'ah').
  • Fun Activity: Sing a simple song to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell": "The 'A' says 'ah', the 'A' says 'ah'. Every letter makes a sound, the 'A' says 'ah'."

Day 2: Writing the Letter 'A' (20 minutes)

1. Introduction (3 minutes) - Review & Objectives

  • Hook: "Remember our friend, the letter 'A'? Let's sing its song!" (Sing the song from Day 1).
  • Objectives: "Today, we're going to teach our hands how to make the shape of the letter 'A'!"

2. Body (15 minutes) - Multi-Sensory Practice

  • I Do (Instructor Modeling):
    • Take out the tray with sand/shaving cream. "I'm going to draw a big 'A'. I start at the bottom, make a big line up, a big line down, and a little line across. Watch me."
  • We Do (Guided Practice):
    • "Now, let's do it together. Put your finger in the sand. Let's say the steps: 'Big line up, big line down, line across!'" Guide the child's hand if needed. Smooth the sand and repeat.
  • You Do (Independent Practice):
    • "Your turn! Can you make the letter 'A' all by yourself?" Let the child practice in the sand tray, with Play-doh (making three "snakes" to form an 'A'), or with a big crayon on paper.
    • Formative Assessment: Observe the child's attempt to form the letter. The goal is practice and motor skill development, not perfection. Success is trying the steps.

3. Conclusion (2 minutes) - Clean Up & Praise

  • Recap: "Your hands did an amazing job making the letter 'A' today! You are an 'A' expert!" Praise the effort and display their work.

Day 3: Finding 'A' All Around Us (20 minutes)

1. Introduction (3 minutes) - Review & Objectives

  • Hook: Show the 'A' flashcard. "Our friend 'A' is hiding all over our house! It's an amazing adventurer. Do you want to be a letter detective and find it?"
  • Objectives: "Today, we are going on a hunt to find the letter 'A' in the world around us!"

2. Body (15 minutes) - The 'A' Hunt

  • I Do (Instructor Modeling):
    • Pick up a picture book. "I'm going to be a detective. I'm looking... looking... I see one! Here is a big 'A' in the title of this book!" Point it out clearly.
  • We Do (Guided Practice):
    • Open the book to a page with large text. "Let's look at this page together. Do you see any letters that look like our 'A' tent? Let's check." Point to letters together.
  • You Do (Independent Practice):
    • Go on a walk around the room or house. "Your turn to be the lead detective! Look at the food boxes, the toys, the books. When you find an 'A', point to it and shout, 'I found an A!'"
    • Help them find 'A's on cereal boxes, mail, toy packaging, etc.
    • Formative Assessment: Can the child spot the letter 'A' in different contexts?

3. Conclusion (2 minutes) - Celebrate the Hunt

  • Recap: "You are an awesome letter detective! We found so many 'A's today. They are everywhere!"

Day 4: Creating with 'A' (20 minutes)

1. Introduction (3 minutes) - Review & Objectives

  • Hook: "We've learned the 'A' sound, how to write it, and how to find it. Today, we get to be artists and turn the letter 'A' into something amazing!"
  • Objectives: "Today, we will make a fun 'A' craft!"

2. Body (15 minutes) - 'A' is for Alligator Craft

  • I Do (Instructor Modeling):
    • Show a pre-made example: a large green letter 'A' cut out and laid on its side. It has googly eyes and paper teeth glued on to look like an alligator. "Look! I turned the letter 'A' into an 'ah-ah-alligator!'"
  • We Do (Guided Practice):
    • Give the child a pre-cut green 'A'. "Let's turn your 'A' into an alligator together. First, let's put it to sleep on its side. Now, where should we put the eye?" Guide them to glue the eye and teeth.
  • You Do (Independent Practice):
    • Let the child add their own details with a marker. Maybe the alligator has spots or stripes.
    • Success Criteria: The child participates in creating the craft and can identify the underlying 'A' shape.

3. Conclusion (2 minutes) - Show and Tell

  • Recap: "Look at your awesome alligator! What letter is it made from?" (Wait for 'A'). "Alligator starts with 'A'!"

Day 5: 'A' Review and Story Time (20 minutes)

1. Introduction (3 minutes) - Review & Objectives

  • Hook: Gather all the 'A' work from the week (drawings, craft). "Look at all this amazing 'A' work we did! Let's remember everything we learned."
  • Objectives: "Today, we will show what we know about the letter 'A' and read a story about it."

2. Body (12 minutes) - Review and Assessment

  • We Do (Guided Practice):
    • Quick review: "What sound does 'A' make?" ('ah'). "Let's draw it in the air one more time!"
    • Read a book that features the letter 'A' prominently, like "The Apple Pie Tree" by Zoe Hall or any alphabet book. As you read, pause and have the child find the letter 'A' on the page.
  • You Do (Summative Assessment):
    • "Now it's time for you to be the teacher! Can you do two things for me?"
    • "First, can you draw a big letter 'A' on this paper?"
    • "Second, can you find something in our 'A' Basket that starts with the 'ah' sound and tell me what it is?"
    • This checks for the main objectives: letter formation and sound/object association.

3. Conclusion (5 minutes) - Celebration

  • Recap & Praise: "You are an absolute letter 'A' superstar! You can find it, say its sound, write it, and you even know words that start with it. Amazing! Next, we'll get to meet a new letter friend!"

Differentiation

  • For Struggling Learners (Scaffolding):
    • Focus primarily on recognition and sound. Use hand-over-hand guidance for tracing.
    • Use more sensory input, like singing the song more often or feeling a sandpaper letter 'A'.
    • Provide only two choices when asking them to identify the letter 'A'.
  • For Advanced Learners (Extension):
    • Introduce the lowercase 'a' alongside the uppercase 'A'. Talk about how they look different but make the same sound.
    • Challenge them to think of more 'A' words (astronaut, anchor, ant).
    • Have them try writing the letter 'A' on lined paper, focusing on staying within the lines.

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