by Susan Kramer

This lesson lets the child practice doing the shapes alphabet letters are formed from - straight lines, curves and circles - with their arms and bodies, while sitting or standing.

Age: 4+

Method:
1. Teacher and students sit or stand and stretch up straight with arms overhead to make body as a straight line.

When stretched up straight bend body and arms to one side to form body into a curved shape:
 

Hold arms overhead and rounded with hands touching for a circle shape:

 

2. When teaching the alphabet letters on paper, demonstrate in the above way the shapes in that letter and have the students mimic.

Add in the shapes not shown in the illustrations; for example for the capital letter A make a tent shape overhead by stretching arms and hands up and bringing fingers to touch in the center overhead. Then bring arms down to side and if facing the students use right arm to make the horizontal bar at chest level. (As the capital A bar is drawn left to right, using the right arm to make the bar shows the starting point.)

Click on cover image to read table of contents   Kinesthetic Math and Language Lessons