Letters & Literacy - Additional Literacy Experiences for the March 2024 Unit - Hands & Feet

Sep 15, 2026

Upload by Sarah

Letters & Literacy provides optional, readiness-based activities that support the March 2024 “Hands & Feet” teaching unit by strengthening children’s exposure to letter names, letter sounds, and creative writing. The guide emphasizes developmentally appropriate engagement, offering a clear four-part exploration framework (KNOW, SEE, DO, IMPROVE) and suggested times to integrate letter concepts. Included activities connect letters to hands and feet through guided discussion, writing, tracing, building letter shapes, and reflective journaling.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Important Information

Four-Section Exploration Framework

KNOW

SEE

IMPROVE

Letter Exposure Activities for “Hands & Feet”

Parts of Your Hands

Spoon & Fork Snacking

Playful Hands

Fancy Footprints

Can You Kick It?

Letters & Literacy Additional Literacy Experiences for the March 2024 Unit,“Hands & Feet” © 2024, Gee Whiz Education, LLC 1 [www.geewhizeducation.com](www.geewhizeducation.com) Important Information The following experiences are designed to complement the March 2024 Gee Whiz teaching unit, “Hands & Feet” These experiences are not required! Instead, they are a tool you can use to integrate an exposure of letter names, letter sounds and creative writing into the curriculum IF you feel your children are ready. This website has great information on print and alphabet knowledge. There are four sections to explore: KNOW, SEE, DO, IMPROVE. Check it out: [https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/school-readiness/effective-practice-guides/](https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/school-readiness/effective-practice-guides/)[ ](https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/school-readiness/effective-practice-guides/)[print-alphabet-knowledge](print-alphabet-knowledge) Keep in mind that children develop at their own rates. Many four and even five-year-olds may not be ready to identify letters and this is OK. You need to think about each individual child and his/her level of development. These activities and experiences should only be used with those children who you feel are ready to explore letter concepts. Additionally, to make sure that you are exposing children to letter names, letters sounds and writing in a meaningful way, this document provides suggested times when we feel it would be meaningful to do so. © 2024, Gee Whiz Education, LLC 2 [www.geewhizeducation.com](www.geewhizeducation.com) | Letter Exposure Activities for “Hands & Feet” | | --- | |
Activity Title Page \# Letter(s) to How?
Integrate | | Parts of Your Hands 4 Letters in the
word hand During this Exploring Together experience, the children will explore the different parts of their hands. Not only does this open the door for you to help the children build vocabulary, it also opens the door for you to talk about the letters in the word hand and the beginning sound of the letter H. As part of this experience, print the word hand on a sheet of paper while the children watch. Name each letter as you write it. Can the children hear the sound the letter H makes at the beginning of the word? Do any of the children have a name that also begins with the letter H? Next, trace each child’s hand on a piece of paper. Then, print the word next to the tracing OR (if children are developmentally ready), they can try to write the word. Invite the children to decorate their hands as desired with crayons/markers. Spoon & Fork Snacking 9 F During this experience, the children will explore how they use their hands when handling forks and spoons. As part of this experience, print the word fork on a sheet of paper. Talk about the letter F at the beginning of the word. What sound does this letter make? Do any of the children have a name that begins with the letter F? Next, provide the children with construction paper, glue or tape and plastic forks. Challenge them to arrange the plastic forks to make a capital letter F on their paper. Once arranged, they can use glue or tape to secure the forks to the paper. As the children create, invite them to think of other words that begin with the same sound as the word fork. Playful Hands 10 Many different
letters During this Exploring Together experience, the children will explore how they use their hands as they play each day. As an extension of this experience, have children who are ready keep a running journal of how they use their hands while playing throughout the day. You can either write down what they tell you in a notebook or on a large sheet of paper. Be sure to write exactly what each child says and talk about letters, letter sounds, words, sentences and even punctuation in the process. For instance, Jose might say something like, “I used my hands to fingerpaint” or Tia might say, “I used my hands to build a big tower with blocks.” Keep this act

FAQs

Are the letter and literacy experiences required for the March 2024 “Hands & Feet” unit?

No. The document states these experiences are not required and are meant as optional tools if children are ready.

How does the guide determine whether children are ready for letter learning activities?

It emphasizes that children develop at different rates and advises using activities only with children who seem ready to explore letter concepts.

What letter-literacy elements do the activities aim to build?

The activities focus on exposing children to letter names, letter sounds, and meaningful creative writing connected to hands and feet.

Sep 15, 2026

Upload by Sarah