Overview
Tell the children they will look for an ostrich as they recognize and name the letter O.

Literacy Activities
Oh, where is the ostrich?

• Print a copy of the O puzzle and the ostrich graphic, glue them back to back, then cut out the puzzle pieces and hide them around the room.
• Write the uppercase letter O and lowercase letter o on a whiteboard, name the letters (pointing out that the uppercase and lowercase letter Os are the same shape), and have the children say the letter name as they write the O and o in the air with their fingers.
• Tell the children that you have an ostrich friend who is hiding somewhere in the room, and invite the children to look for him.
• As the children look for the puzzle pieces, ask questions like, "Is the ostrich over here?" "I don't think an ostrich could open that." "Oh, Ostrich, where are you?"
• When the children find all the puzzles pieces, have them assemble the puzzle with the O side up, then tape the pieces together and have the children say the letter name as you point to each of the Os.
• Have the children watch as you turn it over to show that the ostrich has been hiding with his head in the ground.
• Write the words ostrich, over, open, and oh on a whiteboard and point out that they all begin with the letter O, then let the children find the letter O in the words and draw a circle around them.

More Practice
Make the letter O

• Tell the children that they make the shape of the letter O when they say the word oh and have them say the word oh to a partner as they watch each other's mouths make an O. 
• Invite the children to make the shape of the letter O by using different body parts (e.g., hands, arms).
• Let the children stand up and make the O shape together by standing in a big circle. Make the O circle bigger and smaller by holding hands and spreading out or taking steps in toward the middle of the circle.

Find the letter O

• Have the children look at the O letter-finding page, and find and circle the Os.
• If a child misidentifies a distractor letter as an O, show the child a written O and let them compare the letters so they see the difference (support as needed).