Overview
The children will explore the room to find Es as they recognize and name the letter E.

Literacy Activities
Explore for Es

• Make binoculars by rolling half sheets of paper into cylinders and then tape them together and attach a string.
• Write the letter E on a whiteboard, name the letter, and have the children write the E in the air with their fingers.
• Place E letter cards around the room along with distractor letters.
• Using pretend binoculars, have the children explore the room looking for the E letter cards.
• When a child finds an E letter card, have him or her say, “I found an E! I’ll put the E in an envelope!”
  • If a child misidentifies a distractor letter as the letter E, have the child compare the letter to the E on the whiteboard.
• Have the children put all of the E letter cards in an envelope.

Exploding Envelope

• Place the E letter cards in an envelope.
• Make the Es explode out of the envelope by turning it inside out, then show the children the empty envelope.
• Have the children gather up the letter cards and put them in the envelope saying, “I put an E in the envelope.”

More Practice
Find the target letter mixed in with other letters

• Tell the children they will explore and look for more Es on a paper.
• Display the page of mixed-up letters and have the children find and circle the letter E.
• Have the children say, “I found an E!” every time they circle a letter.
  • If a child misidentifies a distractor letter as the letter E, have the child compare the letter to the E on the whiteboard.

Write Es

• Give the children the letter-writing practice page.
• Let the children trace the Es and then write the Es on their own, using the lines as a guide.
• Let the children color their Es to make them elegant when they finish writing them (optional).