Early Literacy Activity of the Month (Summer 2006)

Fishing for Letters is an activity that you can do with one child or a group of children to help them become aware of and have practice with the shapes, names and sounds of the letters of the alphabet.

This activity is a making progress activity, for children who have mastered some of the skills needed to learn to read and write.

This activity is a print knowledge activity. Print knowledge refers to a child's understanding of books, printed letters and words. Some print knowledge skills are: recognizing printed letters of the alphabet, knowing that print carries a message and being aware of how books work.

My child is having trouble naming the letters. How can I help?
If a child is having difficulty with this activity, start by using 10 letters instead of all 26. Before beginning the fishing game, review the letters with the child. Lay out the 10 fish on the floor, and name each letter out loud along with the child. Together, think of a few words that start with each letter. As the child plays the fishing game, provide clues and help with naming the letters if necessary.

How can I make this activity more challenging?
When the child picks a letter, ask the child to say the sound that the letter makes and to think of a word that starts with that sound. 

Where can I find this activity? (The links below are PDF files that will open in a new window.)

Fishing for Letters for one adult with one child, in English
Fishing for Letters for one adult with a group of children, in English
Fishing for Letters for one adult with one child, in Spanish
Fishing for Letters for one adult with a group of children, in Spanish