If the magnetic board is the type that can be drawn on, draw a big soup kettle shape.
Sing the following lyrics to the class to the tune of "Hot Cross Buns." Have children sing back the words in parenthesis.
"Alphabet soup (alphabet soup)
In a pot (in a pot)
You stir the letters up and then
You boil it 'til it's good and done.
Who's got the 'A'? (I've got the 'A')"
When children can sing their parts accurately, distribute the 26 magnetic alphabet letters around the class and instruct them to hold on to their letter until it appears in the song. Depending on the class size, some children might end up with more than one letter.
Sing the song again, each time calling out the next letter of the alphabet. The student holding that letter will come to the board and place the letter into the kettle drawn on the board.
Cut the card stock into cards that will fit into the pockets on the pocket chart. Print the words to "Pop Goes the Weasel" on card stock, one word per card.
Sing "Pop Goes the Weasel" with your students:
"All around the cobbler's bench,
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun.
POP goes the weasel!
A penny for a spool of thread,
A nickel for a needle;
That's the way the money goes.
POP goes the weasel!"
Have children take turns using the cards to build the song by placing them into the pocket chart in the correct order. Sing the song again, pointing to the individual words to check the student's work.
Sing the following song to the tune of "B-I-N-G-O" to teach young students which letters are vowels.
"There are five vowels in the alphabet and this is what their names are:
A, E, I, O, U
A, E, I, O, U
A, E, I, O, U
And then there's sometimes 'y'."
With each chorus, drop one of the vowels and clap instead, as with the original Bingo song. Then repeat saying the short vowel sound instead of the vowels' names.