Letter L (Making a Tactile Nature Letter "L" from 🌲 Spruce Tree Needles)

Today, we are exploring letter "L". Although Adrian (3 years old), knows all his letters, I am a big believer in practice and repetition. Even if a child knows all his ABCs, s/he will inevitably forget them in the absence of implementation and application of what the child has learned. Adrian, and even Julia (at 7 years), really enjoy our Letter Series, as they get to gather objects beginning with a particular sound (Julia would read a dictionary to find out words), and I try to vary the lessons to keep the enthusiasm going.

Letter L

First, I offered Adrian to "make" a letter L from needles of a Spruce tree we have growing in our backyard. 

As suggested in the Montessori Language curriculum, I used pink cardstock (buy here) to represent a consonant letter. You will also need child-size scissors (Adrian loves these), glue (buy here), and pine or spruce tree needles.

 
While cutting the needles, a child is developing scissor skill.

Adrian loved the smell of the freshly cut needles. 
All the needles are cut and ready to be made into the letter L.

Adrian then applied glue to the template, exercising his gross-motor skills as he really had to squeeze hard.
Placing needles on a freshly applied glue within the letter template.

Capital and lower-case L are done.

Adrian also traced "L" in a polenta sensory tray. (I had glued red cardstock under the polenta to give it a color pop.)

Pin-poking capital letter "L" with a push-pin (buy here).
I like to use colored cardstock (buy here) to make the activity bright and inviting. 

Log, lizard, love, lamp, light, letter, lid, lobster, leaf, lion, lama, lemon, laughter, lace, labyrinth (buy here), lip-gloss, lipstick, ladybug.

Adrian also made "L" from wooden branches he had found in a backyard.

During our alphabet letters studies, Adrian loves referring to Montessori Letter Work Book (see a post here). He also enjoys "following the letter," and today he is using pom-pons (free pdf link and more ideas here).

Stay tuned for more ... Read our Letter Series post here, where you will find an introduction to a Montessori Language curriculum, as well as other alphabet letters we have been exploring.