Building Strong Foundations: School Readiness Group Activities – Focus on Letters

Letter activity

At South Coast Therapy & Support Group, our school readiness groups are designed to support children in developing the essential skills they need to thrive as they transition into school. One key area of focus is early literacy, particularly letter recognition and phonemic awareness.

Over the course of our groups, we explore letters in a variety of engaging, hands-on ways. These activities are not only fun but also support children’s fine and gross motor skills, communication, and confidence. Here are some of the activities we complete during our school readiness groups—plus some ideas you can try at home to keep building on these important skills.

Why Letters?

Letter knowledge—knowing the names of letters, the sounds they make, and how to form them—is a vital foundation for learning to read and write. Through playful, intentional learning, children begin to understand how language works and build confidence in their abilities.

Activities We Use to Explore Letters

These are some of our favourite ways to introduce and reinforce letter skills:

1. Letter of the Day Exploration

We often highlight a specific letter during our sessions through songs, stories, and show-and-tell. Children love discovering objects that start with the letter and sharing their own ideas.

Try at Home: Choose a “letter of the day” at breakfast and find as many things as you can throughout the day that begin with that letter.

2. Sensory Letter Tracing

Using materials like sand, shaving cream, and playdough, children trace or build letters, giving them a sensory-rich experience that supports memory and muscle development.

Try at Home: Fill a tray with rice or salt and invite your child to draw letters with their finger.

3. Alphabet Obstacle Course

To combine movement with learning, we sometimes create obstacle courses where children search for and match letters. This promotes body awareness and reinforces recognition in a playful way.

Try at Home: Hide foam or paper letters around the house and have your child “rescue” them, naming each one as they go.

4. Craft & Create

We incorporate letter-themed arts and crafts, like making “A is for Alligator” hats or “C is for Caterpillar” collages. These activities support creativity and letter familiarity.

Try at Home: Choose a letter and do a themed craft together. For example, “B is for Butterfly”—cut out wings and decorate them with stickers or drawings.

5. Storytime with a Twist

Books are a powerful tool! We often read stories that emphasize a particular letter sound and encourage children to listen for that sound throughout the book.

Try at Home: Pick a bedtime story and ask your child to clap or raise their hand whenever they hear a word that starts with a certain sound.

Supporting Learning Beyond the Group

These activities help children:

• Develop letter recognition and early phonics

• Strengthen fine motor control

• Improve attention and listening skills

• Build confidence and participation in group settings

• Practice turn-taking and social interaction

By continuing these playful learning strategies at home, parents and carers can reinforce skills in a natural, stress-free way.

What’s Next?

In upcoming groups, we’ll continue exploring other areas of school readiness—like early numeracy, self-help skills, and social-emotional development—all through fun, meaningful activities designed to help children feel ready for the exciting adventure of school.