Numbers or Letters Freebie

Two very important concepts that I like to discuss at the beginning of the year with my firsties are the difference between numbers and letters and the various fonts we may see letters or numbers written. This hit home to me last year when late in the year one of my little ones sat looking and looking curiously at a chart I had made. Finally he said he couldn't read it and asked me what some of the letters were on the chart. I was taken back by this because by now I thought all my kiddos knew their letters. I told him what they were and he frowned and said "oh yeah I guess sometimes letter are kind of funny looking." It dawned on me that we needed a lesson on fancy fonts. After the lesson he never had a problem. He'd just look at me and shake his head and say "fancy font!"
Sometimes we don't realize what is going on in their little heads. I love to use fun and fancy fonts and I think it's good for my kiddos to be able to read them. We know they are seeing different fonts in environmental print every where they turn. So why not teach it. Also, you need to know if your students can distinguish between a number and a letter. This is a skill mastered in kindergarten but sometimes I'll have a few that don't know the difference. Most of the time it's the terms we use that confuse them. This is a great lesson to teach both concepts at the same time.

There are letter and number cards you can print, laminate and then use as a class sort in a pocket chart. While sorting, I like to point out the differences in the '4', 'a', 'g', '9' and any others they might get confused with.

Then I have them pick any 10 letters and 10 numbers and write them in the correct columns. This is a great assessment.

Then on another day I have them do a sort.

If you'd like to download a PDF copy just click HERE.

It's been a VERY CRAZY BEGINNING of the school year for me. Yesterday I didn't know if I could survive this year or not. But today was MUCH better! No matter how many years I teach I forget just how H.A.R.D. the beginning of the year is.