Learning the Letter E with

Colors
Grade
Preschool
Subject
Reading & writingLetter KnowledgeRecognizing LettersPhonological AwarenessHearing Beginning Sounds

Learning Objectives
Students will be able to recognize the capital letter E. Students will be able to identify
the sound the letter E makes. Students will be able to find objects that begin with the
letter E.

Introduction (5 minutes)

 Tell the students that today they will be learning about the letter E.
 Ask students if anyone has a name that starts with the letter E.
 Find an object around the classroom that begins with the letter E. For example, hold up
an egg.
 Then, have the students take turns looking around the room for objects that begin with the
letter E.
Ready-To-Use Teaching Idea: Math
Materials:

 book about colors, such as My Colors/Mis Colores by Rebecca

Emberley or Who Said Red? by Mary Serfozo
 red, yellow, blue, and green construction paper
 red, yellow, blue, and green markers
 chart paper
 magazines and catalogs for cutting
 paper
 glue

Objective: Children will develop color awareness and math, observation, and
language skills as they classify objects in their environment by color.

ACTIVITY

1. Read children a book about colors. Engage them in a discussion

about colors. What is their favorite color? What colors are they wearing?
What colors do they see around the room?
2. Explain to children that they will work in small groups to identify how
many things in the classroom are a particular color. Explain that each
group will explore two colors over the next two days. Ask children to
predict which color will have the most items. Will they find more red,
yellow, green, or blue things in the classroom? Record their predictions.
3. Divide children into two groups, each led by an adult. Provide each
group with construction paper in the color that they will search for. On
the first day, one group will identify things that are blue and the other
group will identify things that are red. The next day, one group will focus
on yellow things and the other group will find things that are green.
4. As children find items that match their colors, they can collect them
(if the items are small) or they or the adult can record the items on
paper. If children are recording the items, they can use drawing or
invented spelling. Children can present their items and lists to the entire
class.
5. Repeat the activity the following day to find things that are yellow and
green.
6. Review the list with children. Help each group count the number of
things found in each color category and record it on the chart paper.
Compare their findings with their original predictions.
Curriculum Connection: SCIENCE

Color Mixing With Paper. Provide children with pieces of colored cellophane
paper, tissue paper, construction paper, and glue sticks. Show them how to
layer cellophane and tissue over the construction paper to make different
colors, then invite them to try it. Encourage children to work together. Which
papers do not create a different color when layered?

BOOKS

Cat's Colors by Jane Cabrera

Is It Red? Is It Yellow? Is It Blue? by Tana Hoban

My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss

Ready-to-Use Teaching Ideas: Problem Solving

Materials:

 two sets of cardboard shapes

 books about shapes and colors

Objective: Children will use observation and matching skills as they hunt for
pre-cut shapes around the classroom.

In Advance: Create two sets of cardboard shapes of various colors (two blue
triangles, two green triangles, two red circles, and so on). Take one set and
hide the shapes in places around the room where they won't be too difficult to
find. For example, you could put a yellow square among the blocks or put a
red triangle on a string around a teddy bear's neck. Keep the other set of
shapes aside.

ACTIVITIES

1. Share with children books about shapes, such as Jumpstart PreK:

Colors, Shapes, and Sizes by Michelle Warrence (Scholastic
Inc.). Ask children if they can identify the shapes by name. What do the
 shapes remind them of? (A rectangle might look like the sandbox, a
triangle might resemble a birthday hat, and so on).
2. Pass around the set of shapes you created. Encourage each child to
hold the shapes and explore them. What do they notice about each?
How are they different? How are they similar? Collect the shapes after
all children have had a chance to observe them. Put the shapes in a
bag or box.
3. Invite children to go on a classroom color and shape hunt. Explain
that there are different colored shapes hidden around your room and
that children can work in pairs to find them. Pass around the bag or box
and ask children to choose one of the shapes. Continue passing the
bag or box until all the shapes have been chosen.
4. Signal children to begin their color and shape hunt. Offer hints that
relate to the learning centers ("The blue square is in the place we look
at books"). After children have collected all their matches, they should
return to their seats.
5. Invite each pair of children to share their shape with the rest of the
class. Ask them if they can identify the shape and color. Encourage
them to share where they found the shape.

Curriculum Connection: Language

Word Colors, Word Shapes. On 4"X6" cards, write out shape words in such
a way that they look like the shapes (circle written as a circle, triangle as a
triangle, and so on). Use different color markers to write out the letters and
create one word/color card for each pre-cut shape. Display the cards one at a
time and ask children if they can identify the shapes. Point out that the shape
is made by the arrangement of the letters. Set the cards on a table and
distribute the pre-cut shapes. Ask children to match the shapes with the cards.

BOOK BOX

Afro-Bets Book of Shapes by Margery W. Brown

Do You See the Red Balloon? by Stella Blackstone

The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns

Green Giant
There lived a green giant whose name was Sam.
His hair was the color of strawberry jam.
He had one brown and one blue eye,
And a beard the color of pumpkin pie.
His coat and pants were gay and bright,
Like a peppermint stick, all red and white.
His shoes were as brown as a chocolate drop.
His stockings were yellow as lemon pop.
His hat was the color of ginger bread
With a tall, tall feather of raspberry red.

The Color Song (To the tune of "This Old Man")

Red, red, red, touch your head.
Blue, blue, blue, tie your shoe.
Brown, brown, brown, touch the ground.
White, white, white, take a bite.
Black, black, black, touch your back.
Purple, purple, purple, draw a circle.
Pink, pink, pink, give a wink.
Gray, gray, gray, shout hurray!

There are also number of wonderful books on color with which you can fill
your classroom library. See "Color Resources" for our recommendations.

Warm and Cool Colors

Introduce the concept of "warm" colors (red, orange, yellows) and "cool"
colors (blue, green, purple) by talking about the ways color can be used to
express feelings and moods. Ask questions like "What colors remind you of
fire?" "What comes to mind when you think of something cold?" Then ask
students to create one picture with warm colors only, and one with cool only.
Present their pictures side-by-side. What kinds of images did students
choose? How does each make them feel? Next, ask students to consider
what it would be like if their pictures used the opposite colors. Have them
each create a third picture, either by duplicating one of their pictures in the
opposite colors, or using both warm and cool in a new scene.

Color Walks

Get children to recognize color in their environment by inviting them on daily

color adventures, either around the school or through your neighborhood. As
you set out, distribute inexpensive disposable cameras to small groups of
students and ask them to take turns photographing objects that are the day's
chosen color. Glue the developed photos onto 5" x 8" cards, and use as easy,
quick writing prompts. Have students caption the photos with descriptions of
the colored objects they noticed on their walks. Display the photos around the
room for the class to see and talk about.

Hooray for the Holidays!

Print your own mini book covers to bring the season into your classroom. From How the
Grinch Stole Christmas! to The Snowy Day to Latke, the Lucky Dog, the perfect holiday
keepsakes will be yours with a little foam board and some glue!

What You Need:

Book Covers printable
Ruler
3/16” foam core (also known as foam board)
Decorative ribbon or string
Tape
Glue stick
Scissors
Optional: Xacto knife
What to Do:
1 | Print our book covers in color, and then use scissors to cut out each book cover in
one piece (front, back, and spine).
2 | Measure the front of your chosen book cover(s) with a ruler. Use the measurements
to measure and cut a foam core rectangle that is the same size as the front cover. (An
Xacto knife is best for cutting foam core, but scissors can also be used.)
3 | Measure and cut an 11” piece of string or ribbon. Tape the string to the inside edge
of the foam core rectangle that will be the interior book spine.
4 | Fold the printed book cover along each dotted line and use a glue stick to line the
entire inside of the cover with glue.
5 | Next, align the edge of the foam core with the string attached to the inside spine of
the book cover. Smooth out the cover over the piece of foam core to get rid of any
bumpy areas. Enjoy your literary ornaments!

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Things You’ll Need:

Word family cards
Top hats (red, if possible)
White paper (large sheets)
Red construction paper
Rulers
Scissors
Glue sticks

What to Do:
1 | Print and cut out several copies of our word family cards. Have each student pick out
one root word and its six accompanying rhyming words.
2 | Have each child measure and cut out a rectangle of white paper that is 14” tall and
wide enough that it can be wrapped into a cylinder around a top hat. Next, have them
measure and cut out three strips of red paper that are each 2” tall and the same width
as the white sheet.
4 | Using a glue stick, children should adhere the red strips to the white rectangle in 2”
increments, and then secure the red-and-white-striped rectangle into a cylinder by
gluing the ends of the paper together.
5 | Slip the paper cylinder over the top hat. Kids can now glue a word family card to
each strip of paper. Each student should have a total of seven words.