Super Simple Pocket Chart Letter Recognition Activity

This pocket chart letter recognition activity is so simple, and I share simple preschool ideas like this over on my Instagram page all the time, but I wanted to share it here as well so no one misses it! One of the most powerful tools for learning letters is children’s names. Use their names as much as you can as a tool for learning! Young children are super self-focused, as they should be, so use that innate focus for learning. An awesome bonus is that when we include children’s names in lessons and activities, we aren’t just boosting learning; we are also boosting belonging.

How to set up this pocket chart letter recognition activity

Gather your materials, you will need a pocket chart, some sentence strips, a marker, post-its, and paper or laminated name cards.

On an entire sentence strip, write, “Does your name have a letter ( blank space) in it?”

Write simple yes and no column labels – use whatever symbols you need for your students.

On the Post-it, write a letter of your choice. High tech, right? Here’s the thing: learning doesn’t have to be complicated or “Pinterest perfect”; it just has to work, and this does.

Now pop the names on a tray and invite your students to come and sort.

It’s THAT simple, and it works. I usually introduce this activity by doing it as a short group activity the first 2-3 times I offer it. After that, it becomes a free-choice literacy activity that I invite children to come to do. Sometimes, they sort everyone’s names, sometimes just themselves. It’s all worth it and adds a little more letter recognition into the everyday!

Here is another one of my favorite letter recognition games

See how I use this letter recognition activity as a small group and whole group activity in my multi-age preschool/ prek class!

Want more everyday preschool activities?

There is no better resource for classroom teachers than my newest book, Everyday Preschool In The Classroom. It’s packed with simple and effective activities you can throw together, and you can rest in knowing these are tried-and-true lessons that work! Find it on Amazon here.