L is for Love – a Preschool Learning Unit

Our next letter unit we’re focusing on is the letter L. There are so many great L words that we could use as the theme for this unit, but I thought L is for love would be a great preschool theme because preschoolers are full of love. These first three activities focus on recognizing the letter L, listening for /l/ when someone is reading, and introducing the shape of the letter L to the children.

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Activity One: “When I’m Feeling Loved”

For this activity, we read a couple of books together while having the children make the /l/ sound every time they heard the letter L. This led to some comical pauses in the book, but the children were enjoying the activity and giggling, too.

Materials:
A few children’s books, we used “When I’m Feeling Loved” and “What Moms Can’t Do,” for our books.
Patience

Method:
First, explain to the children what sound the letter L makes. Have them practice making the sound a few times with you.

Now, explain that every time they hear the /l/ sound as you are reading the book , they need to make the /l/ sound.

Start reading, being careful not to miss any of the /l/ sounds in the book, and have fun making /l/ sounds together.

Activity Two: Going on an L Hunt

This activity helps children both recognize the letter L shape and practice writing it. The children enjoyed looking for the letter L’s and writing them as well. There are two variations for this activity. In one variation, use the free printable available in the materials list. In the other variation, brainstorm words that start with L, as well as words that contain an L, and write them on a paper to use for the L hunt.

Materials:
One copy of the letter L hunt printable, available here.  (Or brainstorm your own with the children.)

Different color markers
A blank piece of paper

Method:
Using the blank piece of paper, show the children what an uppercase and lowercase letter L’s look like. Leave the example where the children can see it.

Give them the page full of words with L’s. Read all the words together.

Now, have the children start to trace each letter L they find. Let them use as many different colored markers as they desire.  Make sure the children are tracing the L’s, and not circling, or otherwise highlighting them.

Double check the children’s work, and help them be sure they found all the L’s – especially those hiding in the middle of words.

My children really enjoyed this activity. They felt like they were on treasure hunts and clapped nearly every time they found a “hidden” L (the L’s in the middle of words).

Activity Three: Rainbow L’s

This activity teaches children how L’s look, and also works on their fine motor skills development. My preschooler had a lot of fun building the rainbow edges around her L’s and gluing glitter on her L’s.  After everything was dried, we went back, and happened to notice that some of the rainbow pieces also made letter L’s.

Materials:
Letter L printable, available here

Strips of construction paper in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet
Glue
Glitter

Method:
Begin by explaining to the children that they are going to build a frame around the letters in the middle of the page with the construction paper. They need to make sure they do not cover up the L’s.

Now, have the children start gluing the construction paper strips down, starting from the outside and working into the middle.

Once all the paper is covered in the construction paper, except for the L’s, have the children put glue all over the letter L’s and then shake glitter over the L’s.

Shake the extra glitter in to a trashcan, or back into the glitter container and allow the project to dry.

These fun activities were easy to set up and really got my preschooler thinking about the letter L. I enjoyed watching her create her rainbow L page; the reading practice was silly – which is fun; and it was fun brainstorming L words with my children.