Sensory Fun: Teaching Letter Formation

Letter formation is an important skill that children in Kindergarten are typically learning.  For those students who resist paper and pencil tasks, multi-sensory instructional approaches are often effective. When a child is first learning the letters, it's a good idea to start with their name. Take some Crayola Air Dry Clay and have the child roll it into a long hotdog shape.

Put the clay on a piece of colorful construction paper and form the clay into the first letter in the child's name. This is a good activity for motor planning! Only provide the least amount of assistance that is needed for the child to successfully complete the task.

Once the child makes the letter successfully, you can use another sensory approach to form the same letter. Have the student tear tissue paper into small pieces and use the finger tips to roll each piece into a small ball. Use Elmer's glue to "write" the letter on another piece of construction paper. (Provide assistance as needed.) Then have the student use a pincer grasp to place the tissue paper balls on the "glue letter." This is a fun sensory activity that addresses letter formation!