Teachers

 

 
"Many of our parents were happy to participate in the program at home and help support their child's early literacy development. This school-to-home connection helped us realize, as a school district, how important it is to foster a relationship with various stakeholders at the preschool level - families, teachers, and librarians, for example. Parents were highly engaged and expressed that they looked forward to the weekly multisensory activities as well as the information shared about the science of reading development. " - Pam Vecca, Region 6
 

See the program in action.  Thank you Pam Vecca at Region 6 for this beautiful slide show.

 

 

PRE-SCHOOL/K Use 

“Letters are Characters is a fun and engaging program that helps teach young children their letters and letter sounds while also giving parents the confidence to help prepare their children for school. We have used the curriculum in the school, as teachers, and have also used it to assist parents in implementing it at home. It has been an instrumental addition to our classroom and school community as a whole.” 
 
- Sara Schuch, Director 
School on the Green  
 

"As a team we very much appreciate the home/school connection provided by your program as well as the generosity to our families by providing them with the goodie bag.  Having the large size letters for the children to color and use for playdough is helpful for their fine and gross motor skills. I know that our parents are thankful for the additional support of letter recognition during covid times. " 
Heather, Heather & Emily
Region 6
 
Sample Rollout Plan

Letters are Characters Rollout

  • BoE Approval or Board Approval (if necessary)
  • Teacher Communication
  • Teacher Meeting
  • Parent Communication
  • Distribute parent enrollment form 
  • Materials
  • Teachers will work with Letters are Characters to create a play for weekly emails.

Scope and Sequence (8 Weeks)

  • 1 letter per week,  Repeat daily, Each lesson about 15 minutes
  • Core Pre/Post
  • V, S, Z, J, M, N, W, A (Sample)
  • Teacher Lessons
  • Weekly Parent Emails

Letters Are Characters Website

1 minute promo video

Sample lesson - D


Materials:


  1. Student Activity Book
  2. Caregiver Book (The school will provide copies of the hardcover book. This will be check out by the school. Parents will have to return this book at the end of the program.) 
  3. Weeks 1-8 Parent Communication Emails with video links (updated for Region 6 order)

Lesson Structure - Caroline can meet with teachers to discuss this structure and provide more information on specific activities. 

 
Notes

Start with a statement to generate a feeling of fun, connection and joyful anticipation for what is to come. For example, “I am so happy to begin our special letter time. This is going to be fun.  Who do we have here today? 

Let’s say our name and clap the syllables in our names.  Syllables are chunks of sounds.  A syllable is made up of phonemes, the smallest units of sound in our language.  In this class we clap syllables and tap phonemes. 

Today we will meet the letter V! Did you know that letters have personalities and even favorite foods?  Let’s begin.  

Sing - “Letters, Letters Play with Me, Letters Letters V, v V - Child skywrites with outstretched arm and pointer/index finger during the letters... you can do upper and lowercase letters.


Introduction of the letter and letter sound - Read about the letter in the book.  Use funny voices for the letters if you wish.  They are characters that the kids can play with and you can too.


Now have the child use the multisensory activity workbook page with the letter. Have them make the letter over the form in the workbook with letter dough.  Then they can color the letter.  One sound letters are one color, two sound letters are two colors, vowels are rainbow.

  

Next do a Phonemic Awareness activity with the letter - For example: Rhyming a word with vat… use explicit instruction here… “When we rhyme, the first sound changes!  That is what rhyming is.”  Many children need to be taught to rhyme.  This is a red flag that that child may need more explicit, repetitive, hands-on instruction and more phonemic awareness work. Phonemic awareness activities will be provided each week.


Close the session: Review the letter sound and personality.  Ask what the favorite food is!

Close with the Letters are Characters Song.


Handwriting without Tears will work beautifully with this program. 

As they practice writing the letter, they can draw the faces afterward to remind them that this letter is attached to a sound or sounds.

Handwriting without Tears work can be done right after the close of the session when they kids have just had an opportunity to move their bodies. 


 




Parent Promotion Blurb for Eblast


Dear Pre-Kindergarten Caregivers, 


Region XYZ is happy to announce a partnership with the Letters are Characters program. Letters are Characters provides fun and engaging instruction to ensure students build a strong foundation for reading. It also empowers parents through awareness and understanding of the science of reading in the brain.


Your child will be participating in this program as part of the Pre-Kindergarten curriculum to support phonemic awareness. To enhance the home-school connection, families will receive a kit to keep at home while children learn from this program. The kit includes a box of crayons, Letters are Characters coloring/activity sheets, A Letters are Characters Book (return to school when finished), and Letter Dough.


We will use this program for eight weeks, beginning on January 11, 2021. Stay tuned for more detailed information forthcoming in early January.