No more boring alphabet flashcards and worksheets! Engage students in recognizing the alphabet and sounds with this Peek-A-Boo Alphabet Game. Preschool students will be excited to guess the letter and learn to differentiate one letter from the next.
Visual Discrimination
Visual discrimination is an essential skill for emergent readers. It is the ability to recognize similarities and differences among items. Lots of children’s games, such as “Memory,” practice visual discrimination. Finding a way to incorporate the playfulness and fun of these games is a great way to help students recognize letters.
Get it Here!
Peek-A-Boo Alphabet Envelopes Game
$3.00Use this fun “Peek-A-Boo” ALPHABET ENVELOPE game to help students practice letter identification and letter-sound connections. This activity is fun on its own and also pairs nicely with the book “I Stink!” by Jim & Kate McMullan.
Prepare this game by adhering the garbage can to a 6″x9″ envelope. Cut out the white square and place the letter cards into the envelope. Students look at the window and guess the letter. “Peek-a-Boo!”
How-To Play the Peek-A-Boo Alphabet Game
The Peek-A-Boo Alphabet game is versatile! Play during circle time, in small groups, or as a one-on-one activity. It requires very little prep and can be adjusted to meet the learner’s specific needs.
- Print, cut, and laminate the letter cards.
- Print, cut, and glue the trash can to the front of a 6 x 9 inch envelope.
- Create peek-a-book envelopes.
- Take the envelope with the trash can and cut 2 squares in the front of it. The cuts need to go through the trash can and the front of the envelope. One hole will show a portion of the letter. The other hole will show a word that has that beginning sound.
- Read the book “I Stink” by Kate & Jim McMullen.
- After reading, ask students if they have ever seen the garbage truck. Ask them how they put their trash out for the garbage truck.
- Place a letter card inside the garbage can envelope and show it to the students.
- Students use their knowledge of letter formation to guess what letter is inside the envelope.
- Use the picture clue to scaffold learning.
Idenfitying the Letters of the Alphabet
Many letters are visually very similar. Written with straight or rounded lines, preschoolers may struggle to differentiate one letter from another. Identifying the letters, however, is an important precursor to emergent reading and writing.
In this type of peek-a-boo game, students are playfully encouraged to practice these differentiation skills. Like hiding a secret, students get excited to uncover the hidden letter. It’s okay if the letter is not very distinct, as the picture clues on the smaller hole give practice in identifying beginning sounds.
Students use knowledge of the letters and visual discrimination to guess the letter in the envelope. Presenting it in this way is better than worksheets as it engages children and brings in the element of FUN!
When first presenting this game, be strategic in picking out which letters to highlight. The first letter of their names is often the first letter that they learn for younger students. Pick out the first letters of each student’s name and use those to begin. It is a great way to keep circle time engaging.
Differentiating the Peek-A-Boo Alphabet Game
Are the students ready for a bigger challenge? Extend the activity by giving each child a small dry erase board to write down their guesses. Even though the letters may not be perfectly formed, practicing writing is always encouraged.
Looking for More Alphabet Fun?
FREE Book Lists for every theme!
The absolute best thing we can do for our preschoolers is read to them every single day. It is the #1 most important factor in school readiness.
After you subscribe, you will be redirected to the FREE Book Lists. We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.
