The Mom I Want to Be

The Letter J is a generally reliable letter.  It usually makes the “juh” sound as in jam.  

The letters “dg” sometimes make the /j/ sound as well (as in edge) which makes it difficult for children to spell such words.  Teaching “edge” as a Word Family (edge, hedge, ledge, etc) can help.

The Letter J also makes the /y/ sound in words such as hallelujah

1. Present a capital and lower case J to your child.  See if she knows the name of the letter or the sound that it makes.  Give examples of J words, such as jump, jar, and jog.  Turn the crank on a jack in the box, while making the J-J-J-J sound with each turn.

 

2. Read Jamberry

 

3. Create a J bag for the week with items from around the house, such as jacket, jeans, jump rope, jelly / jam, jaguar, jacks, juice box, jelly beans, Jar, etc.  Have a scavenger hunt with your child and see who can find the most J items.

 

4. Create a J collage with pictures cut from magazines.  Have your child glue them to a paper, then keep in her alphabet book.

 

5. Jell-O Sprinkled J’s.  Cut out a large J, taped to waxed paper for easy cleanup.  Place jell-o in small cups, one cup per color.  Cover tops with foil, secure with rubber bands, and punch holes in the foil to make a shaker top.  Show child how to cover J with diluted white glue and a paintbrush.  Demonstrate how to sprinkle the jell-o to color the letters.  When dry, glue to a piece of paper for his alphabet book.

 

6.  Provide a worksheet and jack in the box patterns (from book), markers, crayons and or stickers, and glue sticks.  Show child how to print J’s on the printing line by tracing the light gray letters.  Encourage them to try printing their own on the second half of the line.  Invite child to color the jack and decorate the box on the paper.  Show children how to fold the paper strip accordion style to make a spring for the jack.   Glue the jack to one end and glue the other end to the X in the box, below the lid.

 

7.  Other Activities: Place a small handful of jelly beans in a jar.  Try to guess how many there are.  Count the beans aloud; taste jelly beans; make Jell-o; Tell jokes; Make a junk collage (SCRAP); pretend to be jumping beans; do jumping jacks; taste different flavors of jelly and decide which is the best

 

Jello cups 
Jell-o Jigglers 
Jelly Bean Cookies Jelly Bean Cookies

Jam Rolls