Getting a pet is like adopting a guaranteed best friend. Someone who will comfort you, be ever-so-excited to see you, and occasionally tear into something you like. Even if you don’t have a pet, you have a sure-thing friend looking out for you. I’ve created these pet literacy activities for you and your students, so you can spend less of your free time sniffing out the perfect centers and more time with your best friend (human or pet).
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Pet Lesson Plans
Dog tag letter match
Pet Literacy Activities
There are two types of people in this world: dog people and cat people.
Me – I adopted my puppy 11 years ago, and ever since I hooked his dog tag on him, I officially became a dog person.
For this activity, we’re using dog tags to practice our letter-matching skills.
Each precious pup has an uppercase letter on his ear. Your preschoolers’ job is to find the matching lowercase letter on a dog tag. When they’ve found the corresponding letter, it’s a match made in heaven!
All that’s left is to hook the dog tags onto the collars.
Once you give this activity a try, you’ll be hooked on this literacy activity.
Materials:
Fish Bowl ABC
Pet Initial Sound Activity
Are you o-fish-ally looking for new activities to reinforce initial sounds?
Well, you’re in luck! This Fish Bowl Initial Sound Activity will make a splash during your pet theme.
These colorful fish bowls are labeled with a letter and have fish swimming in them.
Use manipulatives of your choice to have your fishermen – I mean preschoolers – choose which initial sound pictures match the fishbowl letter.
Your students will love fishing for initial sounds!
Materials:
Alpha-Birds Letter Writing
Letter Formation
Do you ever feel like someone or something is out to get you?
Like when your sister’s bird repeatedly dives after you, and you have to army crawl away to survive?
I know I’m not the only one who’s experienced these feelings (or the crazy bird attack), but let me tell you, these birds aren’t out to get you. In fact, these alphabet birds are here to help you.
Especially when it comes to soaring away with a new idea for letter formation practice.
Instead of your usual tracing activities, flutter into your pet literacy centers with feathers. Your students will love writing with feathers, and you’ll love feeling like no one is out to get you.
Materials:
Lizard Wizard
Pet Rhyming Activity
I’m still waiting on my letter from Hogwarts. Sigh. But whilst I age away in the Muggle world, I’m gonna practice my wand movements (and drink Butterbeer).
Only instead of casting spells we’ll be waving our wands for rhyming words.
Grab a card out of a cauldron – these simple props really brew up some engagement. Say the words on the cards (which include as many pets as possible to build that thematic vocabulary, of course).
Then, wave your wand “Yes” if the words rhyme or “No” if the words don’t rhyme.
And your preschoolers will be well on their way to identifying rhyming words (and prepping for Hogwarts).
Materials:
- Lizard Wizard Rhyming Activity
- popsicle sticks (to make wands)
Birdie Bell Syllables
Pet Literacy Activities
When you’re teaching preschoolers, jingling bells can be heard year ‘round, not just in December.
And as a matter of fact, our bird syllables activity will have your little ones jingling all the way through syllable practice.
The Birdie Bell activity features birdcages with different images “stuck” inside. Your little ones will count the syllables and jingle a bell for each syllable the word has.
Then, they will link chains onto the bird cage to show how many syllables are in each word!
A fun, hands-on way to reinforce syllable counting during your pet theme.
Materials:
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MORE Pet Activities for Preschoolers
Most of the time, pets decrease your stress levels, just like having your pet lesson plans done will do for you. Be sure to snag the discounted pet bundle, which includes all of these pet literacy activities, math centers, and an animal shelter dramatic play so that everything is planned for you!
