ABC Center

Do you ever change out the items in your ABC/Literacy center? Yes, I change out the items according to the students interests and ability levels. The items pictured below are those I use most in the beginning of the year.

Items on top of shelf from left to right:

• Magnetic Letter Storage: Our magnetic letters are stored in an Odds ‘n Ends Parts Organizer. Each drawer is labeled with a letter sticker so the children know where to put the letters. Having your letters sorted saves time when you’re trying to spell student names, sight words, or create magnetic letter activities.
• Alphabet Puppy Chow Game: This idea is from Dr. Jean, I have adapted it to include a recording sheet. Take several small stuffed dogs (I used mini-Beanies from McDonald’s) and attach a button magnet to the end of each dog’s nose with E6000 glue. Next, purchase several dog bowls from the Dollar Store. Place magnetic letters in an empty dog bone box. Give each student in your small group a bowl full of letters and a stuffed dog. Students will identify letters their dogs “eat” from the bowl and record them on a recording sheet with Do-A-Dot markers.
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Magnetic Letter Tree: Your students will have a blast placing the letters of their names, their friends names, or sight words on this magnetic tree. To make your own Chicka Chicka tree see the directions at the bottom of this page or the resources section below for a pre-made version by Lakeshore.
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Magnetic trays: I simply printed a picture of a palm tree, laminated it, and attached it to a cookie tray to create a hands-on literacy activity where students can place letters on their very own tree.

Items on first shelf from left to right:

• ABC Lacing Beads: I use the Learning Resources ABC Beads
  because they are flat and easier to manipulate and string for small hands. My students love creating necklaces and bracelets that spell their names and names of their classmates.
• Lakeshore Phonics Fishing Game: This game features colorful, double-sided mats with pictures on one side, and pictures and words on the other. Kids use the magnetic fishing poles to catch sea creatures with letters printed on top. Students match the creatures to the words on their mats that begin with the same letter. This game comes with four plastic poles, 32 magnetic “creatures” and four mats.
• Lakeshore Alphabet Boxes: Each box is filled with 26 foam manipulatives printed with uppercase letters, 5 activity mats with lowercase letters on one side and easy-to-recognize pictures on the other. Students match manipulatives to the letters or pictures on the mats.
• Learning Resources Phonemic Reading Rods:
  Students can make their own names, friends names, and eventually sight words.

Items on bottom shelf from left to right:

• Lakeshore Giant Magnetic Foam Letters: I use these with small cars that have letters written on top for Letter Roads, see idea here.
• Sandpaper Letters: Students who are having difficulty recognizing letters often benefit from tactile activities such as sandpaper letters. I have the students look at the letter, touch the letter, and say the name of the letter and the sound at the same time.
• LeapFrog Fridge Phonics: LeapFrog Fridge Phonics
  This is one of the most popular learning activities in our ABC center. If you haven’t heard about these they are a must have if you are teaching your students letters and letter sounds. The Letter Factory DVD by Leap Frog is also a fantastic accompaniment to the toy.
• Fisher Price Peek-a-Blocks: I like these blocks because they are extremely sturdy. Each clear block has a letter written on the front and an item inside that begins with that letter. The manipulatives inside are protected from little fingers and are very cute. Some of the manipulatives have actions they can perform by spinning a dial on top and others have surprise actions and features that make them very appealing to young learners. I use these blocks often in the beginning of the year.

Directions for making Chicka Chicka Tree:

Materials: Two coffee cans of the same size, packing tape, wood grain contact paper, florist foam, Exacto knife, fake fern plants.

Tape the two coffee cans together, one on top of the other. Wrap the wood grain contact paper around the coffee cans. Take the lid off the coffee can on top and stuff with florist foam making sure that the foam reaches the very top of the can, then replace the lid. Using the Exacto knife make slits in the lid and push the fern plants down into the slits until they are secure in the florist foam.

Alphabet ABC Center Resources: