Preview: Alphabet centers with real pictures make the perfect printable practice for preschool and kindergarten.
When I decided I wanted to focus on the alphabet with my preschooler, I decided to make some new activities that we could use. I also made parts of it a little trickier so my kindergartner could use them, too. My favorite part was using real pictures in these alphabet centers. I love clip art, don't get me wrong, but I loved the idea of using photographs of real life objects to help solidify those ABCs and beginning sounds. Take a look at everything that is included in the 10 centers (plus a bonus.)
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Supplies Needed
There are a few items that would make prepping these centers a little easier.- Laminator
- Laminating Pouches
- Paper
- Cardstock
- Dry Erase Markers
- Plastic Storage Container (I love these for storing each unit in and you can write with dry erase markers on the label for easy labeling and storage.)
- Clothespins
- Bingo Dot Markers
- Plastic Reusable Pouches
- Playdough
Sequencing Cards
With these cards, students can practice finding the missing letters by only looking at parts of the alphabet at one time. It includes the sequencing cards and the alphabet cards for both upper and lower case. Pro Tip: This prints two sequencing cards to a page. I like to fold them in half and then laminate so that each card has a front and a back. Saves lamination and then you have less individual sequencing cards to keep track of.
Two Piece Puzzles
These two piece puzzles come with three different sets: matching upper to lowercase letters, matching lowercase to a picture and matching uppercase to a picture. These can be used individually or could be great in a sensory bin, where students would have to dig and search for matches.
I took the upper and lowercase set and matching pictures and made it a FREEBIE for you! Now you can try if out before you buy it.
Picture Puzzles for Sequencing
These are five piece puzzles to practice sequencing the letters of the alphabet. There is support built in for our youngest learners in the picture. They can focus on putting the picture of the animal together and then read the letters.
Four Piece Puzzles
These four piece puzzles include the letter and three photographs that start with that letter. They could be used as puzzles like the picture above or you could use them as a sorting activity by setting out the letters and then sorting the pictures by the correct letter. You could also pull out some of the pictures to make it a little easier.
Spin and Cover Games
Directions are included for these low prep game boards that practice matching lowercase to lowercase, uppercase to uppercase and upper to lowercase. You just need a pencil and a paperclip to use as a spinner and then something for each player to cover the letters on the board with - math manipulatives, mini erasers, different colored paper scraps, etc. They take turns spinning and covering until all the letters are covered.
Write and Wipe Cards
Students practice tracing and writing the letters, both upper and lowercase. You could laminate these or cut them apart, but we usually just throw them into these reusable plastic sleeves and use them with a dry erase marker.
Playdough Mats
These playdough mats are another item that could be laminated or put in reusable sleeves. Students roll out the playdough and form the letters. You could also use other manipulatives or even snacks to practice forming the letters. You can also make mini versions to save paper by printing two to a page.
Dot Marker Pages
The dot marker pages practice identifying the letters in different fonts. If you don't have dot markers/bingo daubers, students can color them in or you could laminate/use a reusable pouch and cover the spaces with manipulatives.
ABC Book
The ABC book includes one page per letter with a black and white picture. You can use any art form to decorate the page (sometimes I try to pick something that starts with that letter like crayons for c, dots for d, etc.) When they are done you can put these in a binder or bind them however you prefer and students have an ABC book that they can read with the help of the picture clues.
Beginning Sounds Clip Cards
These clip cards make a great center because they have a self check option on the back so students can check their work. I also love using clothespins for them to pick the correct letter because it gives them some extra fine motor practice.
Bonus Alphabet Posters
I've also included these alphabet posters as a bonus. Each poster includes a photograph of an animal and the name of the animal. To save space, I printed mine using the "multiple" feature in my PDF reader and printed several on a page so that they were tiny like this. If you have the space or want to use it as your alphabet line, just print them out the regular size. It includes a set with black letters and the rainbow letters shown above.
Ready to get started with alphabet centers with real pictures in your classroom or at home? You can find the whole set HERE