Another Alphabet Adventure: Letter "Vv"

"teacher sample"

 When I teach the alphabet to preschoolers, I follow a particular order that introduces each letter in a sequence that tends to be easier for pre-readers to learn. Vv is always among one of the last letters I teach, and this brings us to the end of our alphabet adventures this year. We will certainly continue to play and learn about letters through multi-sensory exposure here, and S will also be going through the alphabet in this order in his preschool class next school year. There are certainly a lot of fabulous words beginning with Vv that could inspire some great play and learning activities: vegetables, volcanoes, and vehicles are just a few! Because Shavuot is just around the corner, I chose to teach this letter with a cute vase paper-craft and to decorate an actual vase to grace our Shavuot table next week as a themed extension activity. S had a great time with this one, although I think his very favorite letter Vv word is still "vacuum!"

I presented my "teacher sample" from my classroom teaching days along with a blank letter V sheet with stems/leaf outlines drawn on. S used crayons to color first...

And then had fun with the glue and tissue paper! I showed him how to crumple the tissue paper squares if he wanted to, but I always invite him to use the materials in his own way when we do craft projects. I also provided some flower stickers at the end if he wished to use them. When introducing projects with a variety of materials like this, it can be easiest for young artists to have only one presented at a time (for instance, first crayons, then glue/tissue, and lastly the stickers).

S's finished product!

Next we took to decorating a vase for our Shavuot table. S felt so proud to have his very own glass vase! We talked about how glass is "fragile," and I explained that this means it can break very easily if we are not very gentle. I definitely supervise activities with materials like this, however I have found most children to be able to comprehend this concept and with that support to be very careful and particularly reverent toward such "grown up" items!

He was even more proud when I selected some flowers we had left over from Mother's Day and Shabbos a couple of weeks ago and placed them in his new vase on the table! He is very hopeful we will still have these by Shavuot, although we may need to replenish them by then!

The very best thing about teaching letters in this way is that activities can be incorporated into almost any theme you are exploring. Letters are all around us both in and out of the house. Pre-readers can learn just as much through play and impromptu activities as they can through "formal instruction." In that spirit, I wish you all happy playing!