Feature letters and words in the physical environment. Have students decorate cut-outs of individual letters or words using tissue paper and glue, markers or crayons or various types of paint. Cut pictures that represent those words out of magazines and combine these with the children's art to enhance reading visual and print texts. Provide letter magnets and blocks for children to manipulate and practice sounding out.
Help children construct a letter book that they will then add letters to as an ongoing project. Supervise children as they punch holes in construction paper and thread the pages together with string or ribbon. The article "Letter Books" by Clara McKenzie explains that the activity, which is repeated for each consonant letter, combines reading, spelling, writing and art, activities that build vocabulary skills.
Offer cooking experiences and provide snacks that begin with a featured letter. Make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or prepare mini pizzas using English muffins, cheese and spaghetti sauce baked in a toaster oven. Reinforce letter and word recognition by displaying the word for the food being made.
Put together a collage of images that begin with a specific letter. Have students write captions for their photos on small cards. Build class community by having students contribute to a larger class collage that can be hung across the classroom at their eye level, which encourages discussing their words and being part of a class project.
Sing songs whose titles or words focus on specific letters and sounds, such as standards like "On Top of Spaghetti or "Five Little Hot Dogs." Display song lyrics and underline words that begin with the featured letter to provide more vocabulary building.