Square Panda Lesson Plan: Letter Discrimination

Instructional goals

The students will learn to distinguish between similar looking lowercase letters.

Materials needed

• Square Panda Playset and Letter Lullaby learning game
• Flashcards
• b,d; p,q; m,n; i,j; n,u

(Note: Duplicate letters may be needed depending on the number of students in your class or group.

• Lined writing paper

 Introduction

• Today we will look at lowercase letters. Some letters look similar.  Let’s take a look at some of the letters that look similar.  
• Ask: What are some letters that look similar or alike?Allow students to respond.

Activity (Whole Group)

• Assign each student a partner with a matching list of lowercase letters.
• Students will work together to write and match uppercase and lowercase letters.
• Using Square Panda Letter Lullaby, students will take turns placing an uppercase letter on the tray. Students then listen to the song to confirm the letter.
• After the song is completed, students will write the lowercase letter multiple times on a piece of paper.

Guided example

• Display flashcards b and d. Ask: What are names of these letters?Allow students to respond. How are these letters alike and different?Allow students to respond.  Both letters are made with a line and circle.
• Display both uppercase and lowercase letters for B. Demonstrate how to write the lowercase b.
• The lowercase d is made with a line and circle. To form the letter b, start with the line first then draw the letter.
• The lowercase d is made with a line and circle. To form the letter d, start with the circle first then draw the line. 

Independent practice / Assessment

• Individualize this assignment by giving specific letters to students based on previous assessments.
• Provide the students a list of lowercase letters. Using the Square Panda Letter Lullaby learning game, have students use the uppercase letter and place the letter on the tray.
• Encourage students to listen to the song and repeat the letter sound. After the song is finished, have students to write the lowercase letter 3-4 times. As the student writes the letter, make sure the student says the letter name out loud and repeat the sound.

 Scaffold support

• Beginner –Provide students with flashcards. Have students to trace the letters multiple times. Each time the students trace a letter, encourage them to say the letter name and sound.
• Advanced –Have students to create letter art. Provide students with 1 or 2 groups of confusing letters. Ask students to use the letters to create a picture. After students complete each letter, have students name each picture with the beginning sound of that letter.

Integration into classroom activity

• As a center activity, use the Square Panda Letter Lullaby learning game and lined paper with preprinted targeted letters.
• Have students place a letter on the tray and then write the uppercase letter beside the lowercase letter on the lined paper.
• As students write the uppercase letter, encourage them to repeat the sound of the letter name and name the picture given during the letter song.