Preschoolers learn by involving different senses. Start circle time by singing songs like "The Elephant" or "Ethel's Eggs." Singing while making the letter E is an activity which helps preschoolers develop a body awareness of what the letter E feels like. Use songs like "Make an E from Me." Alphabet yoga is a type of yoga where you use the body to make letters. This is an activity that encourages problem-solving. Let preschoolers work in groups of four and ask them to make the letter E. One child lies horizontal and the other three lie vertical on the right side. They hold on to the the vertical child's feet, stomach and head.
The letter E can be a short vowel like in elephant and egg, or a long vowel like in eel and eagle. Let preschoolers walk around pretending to be an elephant or "fly" around pretending to be an eagle while at the same time making different "E" sounds. Tell them to hold their thumb and the pointer finger on their nose and to say different words like "elves" and "ear." Make nonsense sentences by using as many words as you can that begin with an "E" sound. Use pictures and photos with animals or food items to prompt and inspire them.
Making your own E is an activity that engages preschoolers. Use four wooden craft sticks sticks and let them create an E. Show students how to lay one stick vertically, and then lay the other sticks horizontally; let them stick out to the right. This is a visual and fine motor skill activity. Make it more challenging by giving them five or more sticks. To ignore some of the sticks, they have to know what the letter looks like. Ask them to write the letter in different materials like sand, uncooked rice or shaving cream. Different tools can be used to write with such as fingers, brushes and sticks. Roll long coils of play dough and show them how to make a small letter e out of the coil.
Looking for the letter in the classroom is an engaging activity that helps preschoolers focus on the visual aspects of the letter. In advance, let them cut the letter E from magazines. Ask them to glue the letters on pieces of papers. Use paper of different colors, shapes and sizes. Make sure that that every child has cut out the correct letter. The next morning before the children arrive, hide the letters in different places in the classroom. Let preschoolers go on an an E hunt. To challenge them, add a couple of other letters like F and L.