The first step in letter introduction is to show students the letter H and get the students to accurately produce the "huh" sound. Students can practice tracing the letter H -- in both upper and lower case -- so they will become familiar with the letter and be able to recognize it on sight. Students can take turns naming items that begin with the "huh" sound.
To encourage students to get excited about the letter H, schedule a Hat Day at the beginning of the H lesson week. Students should bring in their favorite hats -- a fire fighter hat, a baseball hat or a chef hat, for instance. Funny hats will be welcome because the focus is on interactive learning. The students will know that H is the first letter in hat, and as they proudly show off their hats to their friends and family members, they can share their excitement over H week.
The teacher can read a variety of books to the students that focus on the letter H. One book suggestion is "The Little Red Hen" by Byron Barton. Students will enjoy the hen's activities, and when the book is finished, they can take turns making up stories about the hen. Each story should have the hen doing an H activity. For example, one student could say, "The hen lives in a house."
During recess, students can still reinforce their knowledge of the letter H by playing H games. They can play hide-and-seek or hop scotch. Learning does not always have to take place in the classroom and by playing H games, students will still be receiving reinforcement for the "huh" sound.
Give students finger paint and instruct them to create a picture of home. Another art activity focuses on a child's hands; students can trace their hands or they can cover their hands in finger paint and make impressions on white paper. The pictures of the hands can be cut out. Students can take turns holding their paper hands and saying, "My hands hold --" and then students will insert a word telling what they like to hold.