The original idea came from my daughter Jana's first grade teacher, Mrs. Benson, but she used white frosting tubs. Each week they highlighted a letter of the alphabet and the kids brought items for the jar.
I loved the idea of having see-through jars, but if you have toddlers and glass isn't an enticing idea for a manipulative, you might choose the plastic alternative.
I bought a can of gray spray paint ($3) and alphabet stickers ($5).I can't believe how expensive stickers are!
You could choose a cheaper option, but I loved that they were puffy, plasticy and bright.
I spray-painted the lids outside on a sheet of plastic. One coat covered the colored caps well.
It dried in four hours.
Beka and I applied the lower case stickers to the lids
and uppercase stickers to the jars.
For her first grade phonics, Beka is excited to fill the jarswith little items that begin with the letter on the jar.
We began scouring the house today for tiny plastic animals,
monopoly movers, and scrabble letters.
Other ways to use the jars:
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1. Match the upper-case letters on the jars to the lower-case letters on the lids.
2. Cut out alphabets words from magazines to put into each jar.
3. Cut out pictures from magazines to put into each jar. You could choose a theme like animals or food.
4. Use the jar lids to spell simple words.
a. Give them an ending like "in", "at" or "it" and choose the beginning consonants that form words.
b. Give them the beginning and ending consonant of a three letter word and have them fill in the correct vowel.
b. Give them the beginning and ending consonant of a three letter word and have them fill in the correct vowel.
c. Give them a beginning sound like "ba", "pi", "bi" and have them choose a final consonant to form a word.
5. Choose a letter and have your child choose the letter that comes after.
6. Choose a letter and have your child choose the letter that comes before.
7. Choose two letters and have your child choose the letter that comes in between.
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Anybody have any good ideas on what to put the jars in?
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Any other ideas for uses of the alphabet jars?
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We are so going to do this! Thank you for the idea. The study we're doing has one letter per unit, so this will fit perfectly, and be fun (plus yours looks nice!). Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think I'll try it too. I have about a year to collect everything!
ReplyDeleteOhhhh, I see how you created this wonderful jars. And the great thing is that I saved all of the baby food jars since January (when our daughter came home from Ethiopia!) Now I know why I was saving them. Thank you so much, this will be a fun way to teach English, God bless you for sharing this ...my family will be blessed.
ReplyDelete* and the funny this is the word I need to type in to verify my post...is selam (which means hello/peace in one of the Ethiopian languages).
((((hug))))
Kimmie
mama to 7
one homemade and 6 adopted
Kimmie,
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by. So glad you are enjoying the ideas. Sounds like me, I never could stand throwing away a baby food jar. They are just too cute. Let me know if you think of any other ideas to use them for. My daughter, Lord-willing, will keep supplying me with grandbabies and baby food jars!
Blessings to you all. Thanks for stopping by my site.
We did alphabet drawers. You can see them here:http://theadventuresofbear.blogspot.com/2009/09/alphabet-boxes.html
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the jars as an alternative and yours look so pretty.
those are very cute, and I like the stickers you found.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful idea! Wow i better start saving our baby food jars. Nice job! 1st time visiting you blog - very nice! Inviting you to come check mine out too!
ReplyDelete:) Nicole
I was going to make an alphabet box, but these jars are a great option, too. Yours are so pretty!
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