Jazlynn’s Name: Finding the First Letter “J”

Materials Needed

• Jazlynn’s name card, written clearly as Jazlynn
• Large uppercase letter cards: J and a few familiar, different letters such as A, M, or S
• Two or three name cards, including Jazlynn’s and familiar alternatives such as “Mom” or “Cat”
• A small toy or puppet for a letter-finding game
• Painter’s tape or a shallow tray for placing letter cards
• Optional: a favorite book or household item with a visible letter J

Lesson Overview

• Target learner: Jazlynn, age 2
• New focus: Notice that the first letter in Jazlynn’s printed name is J.
• Connection to the previous lesson: Jazlynn explored her name as a special printed word, practiced finding J, and watched the letters J-A-Z-L-Y-N-N arranged in order. This lesson revisits her name and its sequence while taking one small step further: finding J at the beginning of her name.
• Success criteria: With time and support, Jazlynn looks toward, touches, or selects J when it is shown beside a small number of other letters, and notices J at the beginning of her name card.
• Suggested length: 15–20 minutes, split into short play periods as needed.

1. Review: Remember Jazlynn’s Name (2–3 minutes)

Purpose: Warm up with familiar learning from the previous lesson.

1. Show Jazlynn her name card and say, “Here is your special name: Jazlynn!”
2. Invite her to point to, touch, or hug the card. Accept any interested response.
3. Point along the letters together: “J-A-Z-L-Y-N-N. Your letters go in this line.”
4. Ask, “Can you find J?” Offer the card or point to it if she needs help.

Quick check: Notice whether she recognizes the name card, attends to the letters, or responds to the familiar letter J. No spoken answer is required.

2. Introduction: J Is at the Beginning (2–3 minutes)

Purpose: Introduce one new idea: the first letter of Jazlynn’s name is J.

Let a puppet or toy “look” at the name card. Say, “Puppet found Jazlynn’s name! Look—J is right at the beginning. J starts the name Jazlynn.” Trace the first letter with a finger, then slide your finger along the rest of the name.

Keep the language simple and playful. The goal is to notice the position of J, not to memorize letter sounds or spell independently.

3. I Do: Model Finding the First Letter (3 minutes)

Purpose: Show exactly how to find the first letter.

1. Place the name card in front of Jazlynn with the letters facing the same way.
2. Point to the far-left letter and say, “I start here. This first letter is J.”
3. Move your finger from left to right across the name: “J comes first. Then the rest of Jazlynn’s letters follow.”
4. Place a J card beside the printed J and say, “This J matches the first letter in Jazlynn.”

Use a large, clear uppercase J matching the style on the name card where possible.

4. We Do: Help the Puppet Find J (5 minutes)

Purpose: Practice identifying J with support and choice.

1. Place the J card and one contrasting letter card on the tray or floor.
2. Say, “Puppet is looking for the J at the start of Jazlynn. Can you help?”
3. Invite Jazlynn to touch, hand over, or look toward J. If needed, point to the name card’s first letter and let her match the cards.
4. Celebrate participation: “You found the J at the beginning of your name!”
5. Repeat briefly, changing the position of the cards. Add a third letter only if she remains interested.

Engagement options: Say the letter name aloud, tap the card gently, or let Jazlynn carry the J card to the name card. She may answer by moving, pointing, looking, or speaking.

5. You Do: J at the Start Name Hunt (3–5 minutes)

Purpose: Apply the new idea in a simple, meaningful context.

1. Place Jazlynn’s name card beside one or two other familiar word cards, such as “Mom” or “Cat.”
2. Ask, “Which one says Jazlynn?” Give her time to choose, and help if needed.
3. When she chooses or attends to her name, invite her to find the first letter: “Let’s look at the beginning. There’s J!”
4. For a movement option, put the J card a short distance away and invite her to bring it to the beginning of her name card.

Keep the activity low-pressure. If the choices are confusing, return to the name card and J matching game.

6. Conclusion: Celebrate the Beginning (1–2 minutes)

Point to the name card and recap: “We found Jazlynn’s name. It has seven letters, and J is first.” Sing or chant “J is first in Jazlynn!” while touching the first letter, then trace across the full name to reconnect today’s learning with the letter order practiced before.

Assessment and Feedback

• Formative assessment: During review and matching, observe whether Jazlynn recognizes her name card, attends to J, or matches a J card to the first letter with support.
• Summative check: Later in the day, show her name card with one or two contrasting word cards and invite her to find her name. If she engages with it, point to the first letter and offer the J card for a simple match. Record whether she responds independently, with a cue, or with hands-on help.
• Feedback: Describe what she did specifically: “You looked at your name and found the J,” or “You matched the J with my help.” Celebrate effort and curiosity rather than speed or perfect accuracy.

Differentiation and Adaptations

• If this is challenging: Use only the name card and one large J card. Model the match, then invite Jazlynn to place J on J. Keep sessions very short and revisit the same materials across several days.
• If Jazlynn is ready for more: Offer three letter cards and ask her to find J, or look together for a J on a book cover or household label. Continue to emphasize J’s position at the beginning of her name rather than adding several new skills at once.
• For homeschool, classroom, or training settings: Use a family member, learner, or participant’s name card and familiar word cards. In a group, invite each child to find the first letter of their own name without requiring anyone to perform aloud.
• For varied modalities: Let Jazlynn look, point, touch, carry the card, hear the letter named, or trace its shape in the air. Use large, high-contrast cards and a quiet space if visual or sensory distractions make the activity difficult.

Next Step in the Learning Journey

Continue revisiting Jazlynn’s printed name and the order of its letters. Once finding J at the beginning becomes familiar, a later lesson can gently explore noticing the same letter J in other words or places.