Looking for a fun fall alphabet activity for preschoolers? These pumpkin theme clip cards feature both letter identification and beginning sounds.
This is a free pumpkin letter activity which you can download at the end of this post.
Free Pumpkin Beginning Sound Clip Cards
Teaching the alphabet should be hands-on, and it’s easy to see why.
These beginning sounds clip cards make learning the letters of the alphabet fun for little learners who are ready to take their big step into literacy! These super simple letter sound clip card can be used as a handy teaching tool that develops fine motor skills by allowing children to use clothing pins to clip onto the cards.
I love it when printable do double duty!
FAQ About Teaching the Alphabet to Preschoolers
Preschoolers need a lot of exposure to the alphabet. They need explicit instruction as well as plenty of indirect alphabet instruction.
That’s where letter knowledge builds through playful and natural activities in day to day life. To start teaching your preschooler the alphabet, try these things:
~ Read lots and lots of picture books!
~ Point out print around you. (Environmental print).
~ Teach your child the letters of his name.
~ Teach each letter explicitly.
~ But also do lots of whole alphabet activities, too.
~ Do hands-on alphabet activities.
~ Sing letter songs.
The alphabet should not be taught in alphabetical order. Teaching the alphabet in order puts a big focus on those beginning letters. Those are probably going to be the ones that your child sees and remembers most since that Alphabet Song is so catchy!
Instead, teach the letters in order of how frequently they appear easily decodable words. Letters like s, t, r, m, n, a, o, and p should be taught first. These are “high-frequency” letters and emphasis on these letters first will allow children to quickly start reading simple words.
Many preschool alphabet activities that are done in the classroom can also be done at home. Beginning sound activities like these Beginning Sound Picture Seek Mats are a good option, as well as these Beginning Sound Fill-in Cards and these Year Long Alphabet Find and Circle Worksheets.
Don’t Forget Pumpkin Books for Preschoolers
Any preschool theme can be amped up by some high quality picture books to read to your preschoolers during circle time. Here are some of our favorite books that will also pair nicely with pumpkin alphabet activities like these clip cards.
Beginning Sound Clip Cards for Pumpkin Preschool Theme
Pumpkin activities are a given while doing fall preschool activities. Now, it’s time to add some beginning sound activities to your circle time or preschool centers. Go on and add these pumpkin beginning sound clip cards to your lesson plans for preschoolers this fall.
Materials
- free beginning sound clip cards printable
- clothing pins
I offered my preschoolers clothing pins for these clip cards. Using clothing pins works on their fine motor skills by testing their pincer grasp. Some younger preschoolers find clothing pins to be frustrating and fell like they get in the way of doing the activity. In that case, you can offer transparent counters to place over each letter.
The Set Up
Print the clip cards on heavy card stock and laminate if desired. Then cut apart and set out on a tray with some clothing pins. Now invite your preschooler to join you in matching some alphabet animals with their beginning sound letters.
How to Do Fall Alphabet Activity Using Beginning Sound Clip Cards
This is just one activity you can add to your fall activities for preschoolers. In fact, being a pumpkin theme, they can easily be used as a Thanksgiving activity for preschoolers, too! Either way, it’s a super fun alphabet activity with a cute pumpkin theme.
And, the cards feature my animal alphabet which is included in my Daily Lessons in Preschool Literacy Curriculum!
Whenever I introduce beginning sound activities like this one, I walk my preschoolers through everything about the clip cards. I point out the cute pumpkins at the top, and talk about how these pumpkins are like the others we are studying in our preschool pumpkin theme. They point out the animal on each card, and we talk about the letters that go down the strip.
Then I model for my preschoolers exactly how to do the cards. During this process, I think aloud so my preschoolers can hear how I figure it out.
I might say something like,
Hmmm…this card has an alligator on it. I hear /a/ at the beginning of alligator. I’m trying to remember, which letter makes the /a/ sound?
Oh yeah! Letter A says /a/! I see big A right here on the card so I’m going to put a clip on that letter. Now I need to find small a.
It’s a lot of talking. But it is so effective and it helps preschoolers hear how they can do their own problem solving while figuring out which letters to clip.
Some preschoolers may struggle with this activity since identifying beginning sounds is developmental. When that happens, I just offer my preschoolers the animal friends alphabet mats that are included in my Daily Lessons in Preschool Literacy Curriculum.
It’s ok for preschoolers to use an alphabet print out so they can more easily find the matching upper and lower case letters.
More Learning Activities for Pumpkin Theme
Add some of these free fall printable activities to your preschool pumpkin theme.
Get Your Free Fall Alphabet Activity Here
Thin you want to add these clip cards to your preschool pumpkin theme or fall preschool theme? Just fill out the form below and you’ll find it in your emial!
More Fine Motor Alphabet Activities
These alphabet activities will work fine motor skills while teaching initial sounds.
I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
