Implementing activities that support clear learning objectives, preschool teachers can create fun lesson plans that help young children learn the letter U and the long U sound.
Learning Objectives
- The students will identify the letter U.
- The students make and recognize the long U sound.
- The students will learn to trace and write upper and lower case Us.
- The students will identify objects that begin with the letter U.
- The students will learn the “Ukulele Bear”song.
- The students will listen to books that feature the long U sound.
Letter U Handwriting and Phonetics
In order to introduce the letter U, create a poster board which shows both the upper and lower case letter U. Glue a variety of pictures of objects cut from magazines that begin with the letter U. Discuss the poster board with the children, pointing out the items that begin with the letter U. Demonstrate the long U sound and ask the children to make (repeat) the long U sound. Ask the children to think of objects, names, and places that begin with the letter U.
On a white board or chalk board, draw both an upper and lower case U. Children can practice tracing the letter U in both upper and lower case using letter U worksheets. A letter U worksheet appropriate for preschoolers can be found on the Kids Learning Station website. In addition, teachers can direct children to practice making upper and lowercase Us using pencils or crayons on blank sheets of paper.
Cognitive Learning: Letter U Object Sorting
Object sorting is great cognitive learning activity which will help children identify objects that begin with the letter U. For this cognitive learning activity, place objects or pictures of objects which begin with the long U sound in a box, bag or other container. Along with these items, place objects beginning with U or containing the long U sound with other letters of the alphabet. As each object is revealed, children will sort those objects that begin with the letter U or have the long U sound from those that do not. Examples of objects that begin with or contain the long u sound: uniform, music, cube, ruler, glue, mule, ukulele, utensils, USA, and unicorn.
Letter U Finger Play
Teach the children the song “Ukulele Bear”* by Jean Warren.
“Ukulele, Ukulele
Ukulele Bear
Played his ukulele
At the fair.
It got so hot
Out under the sun.
He started to undress
In front of everyone.
He left on his hat
And his underwear
But everyone pointed
And started to stare.
He ran underneath
The big grandstand
And borrowed a uniform
From a member of the band.
He went back to playing
Out in the sun
But he stood under an umbrella
Until he was done.
*Taken from Preschool Express
Preschool Books about the Letter U
Cute!: The Sound of Long U (Wonder Books Phonics Readers; Vowels) by Robert B. Noyed (Aug 1999)
Umeko and the Music Show: The Sound of Long U (Phonics Friends) by Cecilia Minden and Joanne Meier (Aug 2005)
Sue and the Music Show: The Sound of Long U (Sounds of Phonics) by Cecilia Minden, Joanne Meier and Bob Ostrom (Aug 2010)
Huge Animals: Learning the Long U Sound (Power Phonics/Phonics for the Real World) by Pam Vastola (Jun 2001)
Short U and Long U Play a Game (Sound Box Vowel Books) by Jane Belk Moncure (Jan 2004)
Little Lost Unicorn by Lorna Hussey (Sep 1, 2009)
Mule School by Julia Rawlinson and Lynne Chapman (Jul 2008)
Mommy Wears A Uniform by Shunsee Wilson and Jenny Burgei (May 16, 2009)
Alphabet recognition activities will greatly enhance preschoolers’ language learning. The key is to have fun with your daycare job with lesson planning and make each moment of learning fun and creative.
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