“Children are our most valuable natural resource.”
1) 15-20 minutes
Start the class with a game. For young kids, Big Fish Games doesn't always do such a good job. Children don't mind repetition and in many cases, it can be very useful. So, if they aren't tired of the ABC song and running games, by all means, continue using them. However, if you need some alternative games here are some examples:
Round The Chairs TPR
Have the students bring out some chairs. There should be one chair less than the number of students. For example, if there are 4 students, there should only be 3 chairs. Set the chairs up in a circle with the seats facing out. Move around the circle by using different commands such as walk, run, jump, hop and so on. The teacher should do the commands so the students can understand what they are supposed to do. Then yell "sit". The last student left standing must go touch a letter that you command. Sometimes, one of the TPR commands can be touch B-book or T-tiger etc.
1-2 touch your shoe
Stand in a circle and chant this song and do the actions in brackets:
1, 2 touch your shoe (reach down and touch your shoes)
3. 4 sit one the floor (sit down on the floor)
5, 6 kicks, kicks, kicks (kick your feet in the air)
7, 8 it is late (stretch your arms and pretend to go to sleep)
9, 10 stand up again (stand up)
At this point, you can carry on from the previous game and give some TPR commands, have them sit in the chairs or run and touch the letter that you command. Repeat the process for as long as they are interested.
Computer games
The following links are examples of ABC games that can be played with the children:
2) 25-30 minutes
Use the Pelmanism Cards PDF activity with the Pelmanism Cards PPT. Have the children fold and paste the cards. Next, have them color the pictures (you probably won't get through all of them...it doesn't matter as this is an activity to work on color words). Finally, use the PPT to play a game using the Pelmanism cards. There are different ways to play the game, but it is best using the actual cards to model the game but it is up to the teacher whether to use just the PPT or a combination for the game.
Before the coloring activity, you might want to play some color songs to acquaint the students with color words:
3) 10-15 minutes
Use the BCDGT Cards to play some class and outside TPR games. There are some examples below.
Frist, you should establish a mime with each of the letters and objects. For example, to get them to remember b-book, have them pretend to read a book.
Phonic Gate Keeper
The students are in the classroom. Show them a card (c-cat), say c- cat or the phonic sound of c and say cat and make the mime movement already established. Next, have them all go touch the c-cat card outside. Now, before they can enter the classroom, you make each of them say c-cat and make the mime movement already established.
Zombie chase
Spread the cards outside the classroom in the big room. Next, play the 1,2 touch your shoe song, or the TPR commands game (students do run, jump, walk commands based on teacher's discretion). When the teacher shouts zombie, the teacher turns into a zombie monster. The students can save themselves by picking up the card and using that card's word say, for example, d-dog and doing the predetermined mime movement.
4) 20-25 minutes
They should be tired and ready for a sit-down session. Play some of the letter videos as seen below:
After watching some videos, you can do the Letters Cut PDF with the Letters Cut PPT. Have the students cut and paste the letters next to the right picture.
Now, you can watch some turn the card over videos and then play some PPT games that are similar in nature
5) 20-25 minutes
With the time remaining, you can play some more TPR games, return and finish coloring the Pelmanism cards, watch some more videos, play computer games or do the writing exercise in the folder.