State the Objective

Tell the children that they will set up a tent while they associate the letter T with the /t/ sound in words such as tent, tiptoe, take, and trail. 

Literacy Activities

Set up a T tent 

• Set up a tent by draping a towel or sheet over a table or an upside-down chair.  
• Have the children write Ts on small pieces of paper or on the ground.
• Make a trail of Ts that leads to the tent. 
• Tell the children that they will tiptoe on Ts as they take a trip on a trail to a tent.
• Point out that tiptoe, take, trail, and tent all start with the /t/ sound.
• Have the children say the /t/ sound as they tiptoe along a trail of Ts to the tent.

Tiptoe to the tent on tracks  

• Read the Tiptoe on a Trail target text (see below) to the children.
• Point out the words that start with T in the text.
• Tell the children to take the trail to get to the tent.
• Have the children tiptoe ten times on the trail of T tracks and pause.
• Have them tiptoe ten more times; repeat until they have reached the tent.

Tag the top of the tent with Ts 

• Tape the trail Ts to the top of the tent to make tags, or trace Ts with fingers.
• Let the children put two T tags on top of the tent.
• Optional: find objects that start with T (e.g., tools, train, towel) to put in the tent.