Lesson Plan

• Begin the lesson by singing as many versions of the alphabet song as you and the children can recall. Then explore with the children the many places in the classroom where they will find the alphabet— bulletin boards, picture dictionaries, their Write One handbooks, and alphabet books in the classroom collection.
• Following this, read and discuss the information about alphabet books in their handbooks. Tell students that they will have a chance to make school alphabet books, too.

Classroom Applications

Large Group

• Read or present a variety of alphabet books to the children. When you are reading a book, give the children a chance to voice the letter that will be coming on the next page. Then decide on a topic for a class book. Choose a subject related to content you are studying, or focus on the children themselves. A book of classmates’ self-portraits with first names, assembled in alphabetical order, can make a good first try. Use “ABC Classmates” for the pages of this book.

Small Group

• Small groups of children may want to create ABC books that focus on a common interest. It’s important that they know they will not have to make a page for every letter. They can do pages for the important elements of the topic, or use a series of letters about the topic, and even have more than one page for particular letters. What is important is that the pages of their books be put in alphabetical order.

Individual

• Create an alphabet book (or display) by assigning a different letter to each child of the class. Use the "My Letter" page to let the children write and draw words and pictures of their own, or paste on words and pictures from magazines. After the individual letter sheets are finished, display them in alphabetical order somewhere in the classroom or hallway.