Preschool Paint Theme Alphabet Matching Game Printable

Looking for hands-on learning activities to fit with a colorful theme? Whether you are delving into rainbows or having fun with a painting theme for preschoolers, this alphabet activity fits the bill. Alphabet matching activities for preschool are an essential piece of the literacy puzzle. Your students will form an important foundation as they gain confidence in naming letters and matching uppercase and lowercase letters.

Learning Letters in Early Childhood:

PREPARING CHILDREN TO READ

LETTER RECOGNITION AND MATCHING CASES PROVIDE VALUABLE BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR CHILDREN WHEN THEY BEGIN TO LEARN LETTER SOUNDS.

Preschool literacy centers should provide lots of opportunities for children to explore these lines and shapes we call “letters.” To a child, they really are just shapes. It takes a lot of exposure for them to begin to understand that each letter has a special name and a unique sound.

Creating alphabet letter matching games for each of your themes throughout the year ensures that the content stays fresh while giving the children multiple opportunities to explore, play, and learn about letters.

I like to laminate the letter cards and keep them at the literacy center. I also limit the number of letters I place at the center for the first half of the school year (or longer). All 26 letters (52 total) can be overwhelming for many early learners.

This paint-themed alphabet matching printable features 26 uppercase letters on colorful paint cans, and 26 lowercase letters on paintbrush jars.

And because we teachers love multi-tasking, you can also use the free alphabet matching printables in other ways:

• Students that master letter names can use the same cards to learn letter sounds.
• Use the alphabet uppercase and lowercase matching cards to practice alphabet tracing skills.
• Practice writing the letters with shaving cream, using the free printable as a visual aide or mat.

What Can Preschoolers Learn From Letter Identification?

IDENTIFYING LETTERS WITH preschoolers

LEARNING LETTERS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP ON THE WAY TO READING SUCCESS. MATCHING WORKSHEETS AND GAMES PROMOTE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ALPHABETIC PRINCIPLE.

• The Alphabetic Principle is the concept that letters represent the sounds in our spoken language.
• Children begin understanding the alphabetic principle by talking, singing, rhyming and manipulating sounds orally.
• As preschoolers continue to improve language skills, they can begin to associate printed letters with spoken sounds.
• Understanding how letters and sounds relate to each other is an important piece of the “learning to read” puzzle.

How To Use Preschool Paint Theme Alphabet Matching Game Printable

matching letters with preschoolers

PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH AN APPROPRIATE NUMBER OF LETTER CARDS TO MATCH, DEPENDING ON THEIR CONFIDENCE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES.

I recommend printing the alphabet matching game on white card stock. Then, you can cut apart each letter and laminate it to produce a durable product that can be used all year or even in the coming years.

Although there are LOTS of ways to modify and adapt the letter matching game, it’s intended to be played like a classic match game. Create a grid with one set of letters, placing them right-side-up on a flat surface. Use the other set of letters as the draw pile. Children take turns drawing a letter, finding its match, and placing the matching card on top of the other letter card.

You can decide whether to use the uppercase letters as the grid and the lowercase letters as the draw pile, or the other way around.

Other Ways To Use The Paint Theme Letter Matching Cards: