Using Alphabet Anchor Charts in Your Classroom

uppercase-alphabet-anchor-charts-posters-for-your-classroom
Uppercase Anchor Charts

I use my alphabet anchor charts each week to introduce a new letter. My preschool 3-4’s love the pictures. Similarly, my PreK class loves to learn the letter sound using the pictures. So I keep the week’s alphabet anchor chart poster prominently displayed the entire week. I love to watch the kids gather around to look at the pictures and talk about the letter.

Letter of the Week

It is common practice in Preschool, PreK and even Kindergarten to follow a Letter of the Week curriculum. In my years as a Preschool and PreK teacher, I followed many Letter of the Week programs but found them lacking in key areas. As a result, I created my own Letter of the Week Curriculum and I have never looked back. The assessment data always shows great improvement in letter and sound recognition. One of the key elements is my set of uppercase and lowercase anchor charts.

Using the Alphabet Anchor Charts

I introduce a new letter each week during circle time. First, I hold the anchor chart poster in my lap toward me. Secondly, I say to the kids, “It’s time for a new letter, eyes on me!”. This gets their attention, and as I turn the poster around I say, “If you know this letter you can call it out”. Then I say a something like, “If you don’t know the letter, listen to your friends and then we will talk about it.” At the beginning of the year for the 3-4’s, hardly anyone knows the letters. But they love learning together. Consequently, by the end of the year, a lot more kids will be able to say the letter shown.

After we sat the letter, we some ‘skywriting’. Using our ‘magic finger pen’, which is just our index finger, we form the letter in the air. First uppercase, then lowercase. Then we talk about the differences and similarities in the upper and lowercase letters. Another thing you could do is to make anchor charts a permanent part of your literacy center.

lowercase anchor charts
Lowercase Anchor Charts

Letter Sounds

Learning letters and sounds is an important part of overall kindergarten readiness. Alphabet anchor charts are a fantastic tool for teaching both. For that reason, my anchor charts include cute images and text to extend learning and serve a dual purpose. Similar to the skywriting, we work together to learn the letter sounds as well as formation. I will say something like, “Letter ‘A’ makes a sound like a, as in apple.” Then we make the sound together in choral response. After that, I will point to each picture and we will say each beginning sound picture word together.

Below are examples of anchor charts with pictures and text.

Alphabet anchor charts are a great way to introduce letters, learn correct formation, learn the differences between upper and lowercase letters, and learn letter sounds. They make a HUGE difference in my classroom and the kids love ‘Letter of the Week’.

My Letter of the Week curriculum is available in a money-saving (and time-saving) bundle or individual letter packets. follow the links below for more fantastic Letter of the Week resources!

Alphabet Anchor Charts
picture of letter of the week resource cover
Letter of the Week Curriculum
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