Free Printable Lowercase Alphabet Snap Cube Mats
Primary alphabet activities do not have to be filled with flash cards and writing letters over and over. Although those activities can be effective, they might get boring and thus ineffective. I like to create Pre-K literacy centers that correlate with tools or toys that my kids already enjoy. My daughter is really into these math colored cubes right now and we’re practicing letter recognition, so this literacy station is essentially perfect. The Free Printable Alphabet Snap Cube Mats are perfect for working on fine motor skills, plus they build lower case letter tracing and letter recognition.
Recommended Grade Level:
Alphabet Snap Cube Mats Supplies:
- Printer/Ink
- Laminating Supplies
- Snap Cubes
- Dry Erase Marker
Learning Uppercase and Lowercase Letters in Preschool
TEACHING THE ALPHABET
LETTER AND SOUND IDENTIFICATION IS A KEY COMPONENT OF BOTH PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN LITERACY INSTRUCTION.
This activity is incredibly simple and fun! We are able to focus on one letter of the alphabet at a time and really get deep into the formation of the letter. Each sheet also has a picture to help the child with the beginning sound.
Each snap cube pattern card also includes a space for writing the letter a few times. Students can work on building letters or letter tracing lowercase, depending on their interest and skill level. While the free snap cube pattern cards don’t portray exact letter formation, they represent the basic lines and shapes. Interacting with the pre-k and kindergarten literacy centers develops muscle memory of letter names and formations.
Each time we finish a sheet we can move onto a different letter. The letters can be chosen randomly or done in alphabetical order. This is great if you do the letter of the week program or if you approach letters in a specific order. You can add to your literacy center as the kids learn the letters.
As students interact with the free literacy center for preschool/ kindergarten, draw their attention to the shapes of the letters, the sounds, or letter names:
- Does this letter have straight or diagonal lines?
- What else starts with /b/?
- When you write this letter does it have curved lines?
What Do Alphabet Activities In Kindergarten Teach?
ALPHABET CENTERS FOR KINDERGARTEN
ALPHABET GAMES AND ACTIVITIES ARE A GREAT WAY TO LEARN LETTER NAMES AND SOUNDS. IT’S IMPORTANT FOR EARLY LEARNING TO LAY A FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING TO READ.
Early alphabet instruction really should be interactive. I love hands-on games and on-line activities, like Boom cards, to keep learning fun.
The learning resources snap cubes provide a tactile, engaging way for children to learn letters. We use unifix cubes at the math center, why not make alphabet instruction equally hands-on!
- Fine motor development
- Comparing/contrasting
- Letter/sound identification
- First sound word work
Why Is It Important For Kids To Learn The Alphabet?
Free kindergarten literacy centers give children hands-on experience with letters. As students learn letter names and sounds, they begin to acquire background knowledge that they will use later during guided reading instruction.
Background Knowledge: Learning to identify uppercase and lowercase letters is really the first step toward more complex reading skills.
Compare: Learning all the different letter names by discerning shapes requires important brain function, like analyzing, comparing, contrasting, and categorizing.
Alphabetic Principle: Learning letter names contributes to understanding the alphabetic principle: The idea that written language is made up of letters that correspond to sounds in spoken language.
Builds Fluency: When children reach the point where they can quickly and easily identify lowercase and uppercase letters, it contributes to an easier time learning to associate sounds with the letters and ultimately learning to read.
How to Make the Alphabet Snap Cube Lowercase Mats
Step One:
To Prep: Print out the free printable. If choosing to laminate, go ahead and do so. If planning on using the pouches, add the Alphabet Snap Cube Mat to the pouch.
Step Two:
To Use: Start with whichever letter sheet you are choosing. We start off by stating which letter it is, talking about the picture and what sound the letter makes. Next we build the letter with the snap cubes while using the diagram on the sheet. When the letter is formed, we use the dry erase marker to write the letter a few times.
Step Three:
When the sheet is completely done, we undo the snap cubes letter and pick a new letter sheet.
Step Four:
If you child seems confused on the formation of certain letters, use it as a teaching moment to discuss with them how it is different than we would write it and see if they can develop a better way to form the letter with the snap cubes.
Step Five:
If desired, tie in a math activity by counting the snap cubes as you dismantle each letter.
Alphabet Crafts: Alphabet crafts are another great hands-on way to introduce letters, both upper and lowercase.
Create a Book: You could staple the cube mat pages together in alphabetical order as nice alphabet book to take home for extra practice.
Letter Matching: Hide plastic/foam letters in the sensory bin. As children find a letter, they can name it and place it on the appropriate cube mat to sort them.
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What a great resource! Thank you for sharing!
Can’t wait to use these in my classroom!
Great. I have cubes and my Special education students only make towers.
I’m printing these out for them to do other things.
Thank you so much.
Thank you for always offering such amazing activities. I use them to enhance my sensory friendly sped classroom!
I am always looking for things we can do in our integrated classroom.thanks
Great! Enjoy.
These are great! Is there a way to have an MS Word copy so that I can change the images? I teach in a French Immersion school and the images are not all transferable.
Thanks,
Julie Tremeer
Due to clip art copyright restrictions, I am unable to offer an editable copy.
I absolutely love your materials.
Fantastic idea –I will use it with my ASD students to incorporate letter identification and fine motor skills:)
Fantastic idea!! I will use this with my students with ASD. Great incorporation of literacy and fine motor skills