# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3oA4wfUBak

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nessy Reading Strategy | Magic E | Learn to Read

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fundations Alphabet: Proper Letter Sound Pronunciation

# data[].attributes.body
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b8S3dRUvNr9O9YhBdwWuaDBlNmuxU-d66vYNiaPefoo/edit

# data[].attributes.headline
Fun Ways to Practice Letter Formation (Writing Alphabet Letters)

# data[].attributes.subject
Fun Ways to Practice Letter Formation (Writing Alphabet Letters)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Letter formation is the ability to form the letters of the alphabet correctly. It is an important skill in learning to write.

While many young children are not quite developmentally ready to hold a pencil and write letters, there are many ways that you can incorporate letter formation activities into your literacy and fine motor centers.

Working on letter formation activities can provide multi-sensory input to enhance letter recognition activities and phonemic awareness activities. Using many of the ideas below will also help build fine motor skills to prepare kids as they begin learning to write letters.

How Do You Teach Letter Formation?

Top to Bottom - Teach kids to form letters from the top down. Starting letters at the top is generally easier and will eventually enable children to write faster with less fatigue.

Starting Point -Letter formation activities with arrows and numbers all over them are confusing to young kids. Instead, I prefer to provide a simple dot at the starting point of a letter. This dot provides a simple visual cue to remind kids of where to place their pencil or crayon when writing a letter.

Uppercase and Lowercase - While it may be easier for kids to form uppercase letters, I am not a fan of focusing solely on uppercase letters at the beginning of letter formation instruction.

In the real world, most print is in lowercase, and asking kids to write everything in uppercase and then switching to the correct way is confusing to kids.

My son worked with many occupational therapists when he was young. The handwriting program that all of them used began instruction with uppercase letters. It was VERY difficult for him to transition to writing lowercase letters when they concentrated so much on uppercase letters.

Using Letter Cards for Letter Formation Activities

Now I want to show you many fun ways to work on letter formation with your kids. Many of these letter activities don't even involve holding a writing instrument, so they are perfect for kids who aren't ready to start handwriting.

Finger Tracing

One of the simplest and easiest ways to work on letter formation is with finger tracing. Using their index finger and starting at the dot, kids can trace the letters on the cards. You can also create tactile letter cards by gluing items to the cards.

Salt Tray

Make a salt tray by adding a small amount of salt, sand, rice, or other sensory filler to the bottom of a tray. Then, using the letter card as a reference, kids can trace letters into the salt tray materials.

Cover with Mini-Erasers or Small Objects

Kids can cover or trace the letters with small objects like mini-erasers, beads, gems, etc. Add tweezers, and you have a fun fine motor activity.

Stickers

Kids can cover the letters with stickers. You may get bonus points if the stickers relate to the letter (h is for happy). Of course, I'm kidding about the bonus points. Seriously, don't stress yourself out finding coordinating stickers. Your kids will enjoy the activity either way.

Wikki-Stix

Kids can use waxed yarn to form the letters.

Pipe Cleaners

No waxed yarn? No worries! Get out some pipe cleaners so that kids can form the letters with the fuzzy stems.

Dot Markers

Bingo daubers are fun to use with these letter cards for letter formation activities. Kids can use one color or multiple colors to form the letters.

Water Color

Get out the watercolor paint and a paintbrush, and your kids can work on letter formation by painting the letters.

Stamps

If you have little stamps, kids trace the letters with stamped images.

If you don't have little stamps, they can use a pencil eraser to stamp small circles to trace the letters.

Playdough

Laminate the letter cards, and they make perfect little alphabet playdough mats. Kids can roll the playdough into a coil and then smoosh the playdough for a fun multi-sensory alphabet activity.

Tape

Kids can trace the letters with tape.

Crayons

Kids can use crayons to color or trace the letters on the cards.

Rainbow Write

They can use several colors of crayons to rainbow write the letters.

Colored Glue

Squeezing glue is fun and a great way to build hand strength. Kids can trace the letters with a line of glue. When the glue dries, you will have a great tactile letter card for finger tracing.

Markers

Provide markers, and your kids can decorate the letters or trace them.

Dry Erase Markers

Do you want to use the cards over and over again? Then, laminate them, and you can use them with dry-erase markers for letter formation practice.

Glue objects or Pom-Poms

The variety of objects that you can glue to the cards is endless. For example, dig some craft pom-poms out of your craft supply closet, and kids can glue them in place to form the letters.

Sequins

Want something a little fancier? Sequins are fun!

Craft Noodles

If you don't want to deal with glue, craft noodles are a great alternative. Provide a damp sponge or damp paper towel. Kids can tap the end of a craft noodle to moisten it, and then they can stick it to the letter.

Q-tip painting

Kids can use cotton swabs and paint to trace the letters, or perhaps they will prefer to trace the letter with dots of paint.

Purchase the Letter Cards

The versatile letter cards featured in this post can be purchased in my store. They are part of my Hands-On Alphabet Bundle or they can be purchased separately.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Letter Formation Activities: 20 Ways to Help Your Preschoolers - Early Learning Ideas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Letter formation is the ability to form the letters of the alphabet correctly. It is an important skill in learning to write.

# data[].attributes.body
Encourage your child to roll "sausages" from the playdough, before shaping them into letters.

# data[].attributes.body
Write all the alphabet letters along the outer edge of a paper plate. Cut slits in between each letter. Go on a letter sound hunt around the home or out in nature for objects that begin with that letter and sound(s). Once found, fold down that letter. Create a plate in uppercase letters or lowercase letters, depending on what they are working on.

# data[].attributes.body
Select the trick words you want to focus on and write them down on a sheet of paper. Write the same trick words on sticky notes and post them around the house. Have your child find them. They must read them before placing them on top of the matching trick words on your sheet.

# data[].attributes.body
Click the image for fine motor skills practice ideas.

# data[].attributes.body
In dirt, sand, or rice. Once a letter is found, encourage child to name them, say the letter's sound or sounds aloud, and possibly even make simple cvc words (i.e. cat, sun, fan) or spell known sight words.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Letter Formation Guide Fundations Lower Case Letters

# data[].attributes.body
It doesn't have to be this fancy. Try sticky notes!

# data[].attributes.body
Help your kindergartener sound out words with best-guess spelling. You can have them help with shopping lists, too.  "Looks like we need more soup. Write that down for me." "ssss-ooouu-p" Help them say it slowly to stretch it out. They might write "sup" or "sop" or just "s" or "sp" or "so". Great! Keep going with other items. "Let's write rice!" "rrrr-iiiii-ce". They might spell it like "ris" or something similar. We're not aiming for "dictionary spelling". If they really struggle, go back to the letter sounds practice to help build their letter sound knowledge. Patience is the key here, if you or they begin to get frustrated, celebrate any success and take a break from it before returning to it another time.

# data[].attributes.body
Write the sight words in large lowercase lettering and cut them out before sticking them onto the boxes, containers, or grocery bags.

Gather some soft balls that are safe to throw indoors. Balls that bounce work the best. Suggestion: Place the grocery bags in front of a couch so that balls that go to far have a chance to roll into the bags below.

Invite your child to play by showing them this exciting set-up and challenging them to making a goal. Each time they toss their ball they need to read the sight word of the bag they're aiming for. This way they'll get lots of good practice while also practicing their aim and throwing skills.

# data[].attributes.body
Each one starts with a list of words they can sound out, along with trick words circled in red.

# data[].attributes.body
Student calls out the letter name or sound as they jump from one square to the next. You can also use sight words.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
_Composition Paper Portrait (Large Grids with Drawing Box)

# data[].attributes.body
Play Memory using letters/sounds or sight words written on index cards.