Overview
The children will help Nikki Nightingale collect things for her nest as they practice saying the /n/ sound in words such as nest, net, and nightingale.

Literacy Activities
Send objects up, up, and away

• Attach a craft stick to the Nikki Nightingale puppet.
• Place nine objects that start with N (optional) or picture cards around the room.
• Teach the children Nikki Nightingale’s song:
  • Hum a familiar tune (e.g., "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star") using only the /n/ sound.
• Choose a child to fly Nikki Nightingale around the room to look for something beginning with the letter N to put in her nest.
• At the same time, have all children sing Nikki Nightingale’s N song.
• Repeat, choosing other children to fly Nikki Nightingale around the room in search of N objects.
• Make a list of the objects or pictures in Nikki Nightingale’s nest.
• Emphasize that all of the items begin with the letter N which makes the /n/ sound.

More Practice
Write the target letter

• Give the children small pieces of paper or sticky notes.
• Have the children write the uppercase letter N and lowercase n on the papers while producing the /n/ sound.
• Have the children put the N and n letter cards in Nikki Nightingale’s nest

Read target words in a text

• Have the children help you make a list of things Nikki Nightingale needs for her nest.
• Remind the children that all of the things need to start with the /n/ sound.
• Have the children write the initial letter N in each word on the list.
• Using the list, write a repetitive text together as a group about what Nikki Nightingale needs for her nest (e.g., Nikki needs a nut for her nest, Nikki needs a nine for her nest).
• Have the children find and underline the letter n and N throughout the text, saying the /n/ sound each time they underline a letter.
• Read the text again and have the children touch their nose while producing the /n/ sound every time they see a word that starts with N.