Encourage the preschoolers to make "soup." Cut out every letter of the alphabet on colored construction paper. Cover with contact paper to keep the letters sturdy. Make a "stove" using a cardboard box and a black marker. Close the box on all sides and draw four black circles on the top of the box; this is the burner. Lay the letters on a flat surface and tell the children to cook up some words. Ask the students to pick the letters for the word cat; place each letter in the pan. Students can choose their own words, too. This activity teaches basic word structure.
Let each child have a colored piece of chalk. Ask him to draw a favorite letter on the chalkboard. Encourage other students to think of words that start with the letter on the board. Draw each student's response next to the letter. Do this activity one student at a time so there isn't any confusion among the preschoolers. This activity encourages letter recognition.
Give each student a piece of paper and paints. Ask the students to paint a scene from their favorite story. If a student cannot decide on a favorite scene, encourage him to make up his own story. The created story does not need to be complex, and he can pick one object to paint if he is unable to think of a story or scene. Once the paint is dry, ask each student, one at a time, to tell you about the painting. Write the story on the back of the picture. Look for common words like "the" and "a." Ask students to point to words they recognize as you are filling in their stories. This activity encourages sight word recognition.
Ask each student to create her favorite animal using modeling clay. What letter does the animal begin with? What letter does the animal end with? Do the students recognize any other letters in the name of their animals? What sounds do the letters make? Can you count how many sounds you hear? You can tailor the questions to each student or use these generalized questions. This activity encourages students to identify the sound each letter makes.