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One of the beginning skills a child needs to becoming a good reader is understanding concepts of print. One main concept of print is the awareness that there are differences between letters and words.

Children need a clear definition of the difference between letters and words. Letters have certain shapes, sounds and when put together make up words. Words on the other hand, are made up of letters and separated by spaces.

Use the following hands-on activities to help children understand the difference in letters and words.

1. Diagram It!
Before the lesson: Prepare a large Venn Diagram on chart paper. Label one side “letters” and the other side “words”. Then make a class set of letters and words on sentence strips or index cards. Begin the lesson by giving each child a letter or word. Have them come up one at a time and explain where they think it should go on the diagram and place it. Be sure to remind them that there are a few letters that are also words (a, I). Ask where we would place these (in the middle)? When finished review and post in room for reference.

2. Which Has More?
A great way to integrate a little math into your language arts is by graphing. Prepare a graph on chart paper with 2 columns labeled letters and words. Give each child a card with a letter or word written on it. Have them come up and glue into appropriate column and explain. Tally results and write a sentence together, “We have 8 letters and 10 words”.

3. Mystery Words
Using your word wall or a list of words on chart paper, tell the students “I am looking for a word with 3 letters”. Call on someone to find one. Continue playing looking for words of various length as well as containing specific letters (”I am looking for a word that has 2 letters and one is an “i”"). Make sure everyone gets a chance to participate.

4. How many words or spaces?
Prepare enough 3 and 4 word sentences for each child to have their own (I am tall. I like to play.) Make sure you leave large spaces between each word so it is obvious to the child. You will also need paper plates labeled 2, 3, and 4. Review that words have many letters and spaces in between. Have them look at their sentence and count the number of words. Have a plate labeled 3 and one labeled 4 and place on the floor. Have students line up behind the plate that matches their sentence. Check to ensure accuracy and discuss results (who has more, less). Gather sentences and pass out again. This time, have students count the spaces in the sentence (2 or 3). Have them line up again behind the correct plate (2 or 3) and discuss results.

5. Sort It Out
Now that you have done several different whole group activities sorting letters, words and spaces, allow opportunities for independent or small group practice. Make a set of letter or word cards and laminate for durability. Make several sorting mats (Venn Diagram, letter/word t-chart, graphing mat, etc.) for students to use to sort the letters and words. Having several options for sorting allows them some choice in the activity as well as keeps them engaged with more if they finish one sort quickly. Use these items during center time.

Using a hands-on approach to teaching letters and words will keep your students engaged and excited to learn more!

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