Preschool teachers and daycare providers can help children learn to recognize and write the letter X through fun activities that support clear learning objectives.
Learning Objectives
- The students will identify the letter X
- The students make and recognize the X sound
- The students will learn to trace and write upper and lower case X’s.
- The students will identify objects that begin or end with the letter X.
- The students will do a letter X craft.
- The students will listen to and learn “Exciting X” Rhyme.
- The students will listen to books that feature items that start or end with the letter X.
Handwriting and Alphabet Recognition
Introduce the children to the letter X along with simple objects that begin with the letter X. Create a colorful letter X poster board or bulletin board that presents both the upper and lower case Xs. Include pictures of objects cut from magazines that begin or end with the letter X. For example: x-ray, xylophone, fox, box, ox, lox.
Write both the upper and lowercase X on a whiteboard or chalkboard. Demonstrate the X sound and ask the children to make (repeat) the X sound. Next ask the children to think of words (names, objects, or places) that might begin with the letter X.
Encourage the children to practice tracing the letter X in both upper and lower case using a letter X worksheet. A good example of such a Letter X worksheet is available on the Kidzone website. Children can also practice writing and tracing the letter X on blank sheets of paper using pencils, colored pencils, or crayon.
X Craft Activity
Cut out a large letter X from cardboard. Provide children with art materials like paint, crayons, marker and colored pencils along and all sorts of embellishments like stickers, ribbon, string, glitter, sequins, feathers, and scraps of material. Encourage children to decorate the X as they place. Allow them to dry and then hang them on a letter X bulletin board.
X Rhyme
Teach the children “Exciting X”, a rhyme by Jean Warren
X was very lonely. He had few words of his own.
Then along came E and together they would roam.
Wherever E would go, X would tag along.
Then one day, they married. Now X is very strong.
You can hear his sound, whenever they go out.
Extra, Extra, Extra! Now the news stands shout.
I get so excited, when I see them together.
They’re always exercising and X is feeling better.
So when you see a sign that says EXIT this way.
You know that E and X are together to this day!
Letter X Story Time
Jessica’s X-Ray by Pat Zonta and Clive Dobson (Sep 12, 2006)
The Talkative Letter X by Daniel Errico (Jun 15, 2011)
Xavia’s X Book/ El Libro X de Xavia (My Letter Library/ Titulos Del Abecedario) (Spanish Edition) by J. L. Mazzeo (Mar 30, 2007)
Ox-Cart Man (4 paperbacks and CD) by Donald Hall (Jan 2004)
The Year of the Ox: Tales from the Chinese Zodiac by Oliver Chin and Miah Alcorn (Jan 1, 2009)
Fox by Kate Banks and Georg Hallensleben (Feb 20, 2007)
Fox and His Friends: Level 3 (Easy-to-Read, Puffin) by Edward Marshall and James Marshall (May 1, 1994)
Fox at School: Level 3 (Easy-to-Read, Puffin) by Edward Marshall and James Marshall (Aug 1, 1993)
Including these simple activities into the curriculum of child care centers will greatly enhance preschoolers’ language learning. Lesson plans should contain clear learning objectives but also remember to seize spontaneous moments of opportunity to teach.
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