Write the Room

ELA Monthly Pacing Guide: February/March

Domain: Physical Development and the Mechanics of Writing

Children will practice writing or tracing the shapes of letters

Teachers will model writing letters and words

At this time of year, many children can name and or recognize some letters, and most children are writing their names. A fun way to reinforce letter writing is by engaging children in Write the Room. It is quick and easy to set up. To start, write each letter of the alphabet on an index card or print them onto card stock and cut them into cards. Place the cards throughout the classroom. They should be placed at eye level and be easily accessible. The children will need a clipboard, pencil, and recording sheet (see below for samples). There are several ways to engage, modify, and extend this activity to meet the needs of a range of learners.

Find the Letters in Your Name (from this website): For this game, half of the paper says “Letters in my name,” and the other half says “Letters not in my name.” Children attach the sheet to a clipboard and walk around the classroom looking for letters. When they find a letter, they decide which half of the paper to write on. Is the letter in their name? Or is it not in their name?

Write the Room A-Z:  Create a recording sheet with some letters and a space to write the matching letter. For a challenge, the recording sheet can have spaces for the letters but no model. You can start with 5-10 letters and then increase as needed.