
Materials
Let’s jump right in to discussing how to build a wonderful ABC/Word Center to please any child. You can use just about anything that you have on hand.
Puzzles- with pictures of objects for spelling, or LETTERS, or even NUMBERS for spelling
Cards- of ABCs for review, or to write or spell on
Books- representing ABCs or pictures to spell
Magnets…
Foam letters,
Wooden letters,
Paper Letters,
Letters made of craft-sticks and/or straws,

Objects,
Anything that can be a resource for relating to letters, words, sounds.
Storage
How will you store your items? Display your items what way? How will you organize your items? What is your plan?
You can use boxes,
bulletin boards, or other
vertical boards on the wall like chalkboards or whiteboards,

clotheslines- to hang baggies labeled with object or item inside, or little zipper pouches,
old lunch boxes, or
decorated shoe-boxes, and even
baking sheets for the magnet letters and objects.
Be sure to include:
You can include paper and writing tools, pencils, crayons, markers, chalk. Use what you have. See that materials do not have to be fancy or expensive.
Purpose
Purpose is to create a place for discussion, exploring, and practicing of saying words, isolating and identifying sounds and letters that represent the sounds, and to practice SPELLING and READING.
This is the beginning of reading! Creating a wonderful ABC/Word center, fuels your learner on the path to reading. Here are some examples of activities suitable for inclusion in this center:




Use stickers, pictures how? Read my procedure to teach sound out spelling, in the section entitled, “Use the Words How?”


The possibilities are endless. Therefore with imagination and much of what you have on-hand, you can make a wonderful ABC/Word Center.
In addition, here is a great article that touches on a cool strategy that is useful and fun. It is a suitable technique to model and teach in a wonderful ABC/Word Center. Read more about it here in the section titled, “Dots per Spelling Sound.”
Happy reading, and hug your kiddos!

