Summertime is almost over, which means pool noodles will be on SALE everywhere so why not go grab a few for cheap and use them for an educational purpose?! We have been working on letters the last few weeks before my oldest heads off to preschool and I thought the pool noodle alphabet match would be a great way for her to practice matching uppercase and lowercase letters.
What You Will Need for Pool Noodle Alphabet Match
- pool noodles (I did two different colors)
- black permanent marker
- wooden sticks
Getting Pool Noodle Alphabet Match Ready
1. If preschool or struggling kindergarten students will be using this, write the letters on the wooden sticks. I wrote uppercase on one end and lowercase on the other. This way when I am having students match the opposite way, everything will be ready.
2. Cut the pool noodles into two inch sections.My husband use an electric saw and it took no time at all. I am sure you could easily use a sharp knife or even scissors to do the job.
3. Using a black marker write each uppercase letter on one color of pool noodles and lowercase letters on the other color.
Using Pool Noodle Alphabet Match
I love activities that can easily be tailored to your students’ or child’s needs and ability and pool noodle alphabet match can easily be adapted to do just that. For preschoolers or struggling kindergarten students you can easily adapt this activity so that you can set them up to be successful. Place a wooden stick (that has the uppercase or lowercase letter that they will be looking for written at the top) inside the pool noddle. This will then show the students exactly what they are looking for, while allowing them to connect the uppercase and lowercase letters together.
When first starting the pool noodle alphabet match, I recommend only placing a few out at a time. As they master those, then you can add more. You do not want to overwhelm them with 26 different letters because that will just lead to frustration.
For students or children that already know their uppercase and lowercase letters, simply place a blank wooden stick in the pool noodle and students will search through the noodles and find the corresponding letter. The wooden stick will keep the noodles together so that the students can visually see the paired letters.
Can you not find a resource that you would LOVE to have for your classroom? Contact me and I would be happy to make it for you.
Are you looking for more alphabet ideas, activities, and printables to do at home or in the classroom? If so click here.
Jennifer
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I bet that the kids love this!
We had so much fun with it! It was a big hit.