Letter Flashcards

Cut out each card along the dotted lines. Use these cards during the Sound Safari activities to introduce initial sounds. Each card shows an uppercase letter and a picture that begins with that letter’s sound.

Sound Safari Hunt Chart

Place each picture card you find under the matching letter column. One card per row—be sure to say the initial sound as you stick it down!

Alphabet Sound Safari Song

Chorus:
Come along on our Sound Safari, hooray!
Let’s find the sounds the wild animals say.
Listen to the letter, shout it out loud—
On our Sound Safari, we’re so proud!

Verse A:
I see an Apple hanging in a tree—
What’s the first sound? It’s the /a/ with me!
(Action: Stretch your arms up tall, like a tree.)

Verse B:
I spot a Ball bouncing on the ground—
Hear the first sound? It’s the /b/ all around!
(Action: Bounce up and down like a ball.)

Verse C:
A Cat is climbing, soft and sly—
What do you hear? It’s the /c/ meow so high!
(Action: Arch your back and meow like a cat.)

Verse M:
A Monkey’s swinging wild and free—
Listen close now, that’s the /m/ from me!
(Action: Swing your arms like a monkey.)

Verse S:
A Snake is slithering on the ground—
Give me the sound? It’s the /s/ all around!
(Action: Wiggle like a snake on the floor.)

Verse T:
A Tiger prowls, so strong and proud—
Roar out the sound: it’s the /t/ loud!
(Action: Make a gentle roar and pretend to prowl.)

Chorus (Repeat):
Come along on our Sound Safari, hooray!
Let’s find the sounds the wild animals say.
Listen to the letter, shout it out loud—
On our Sound Safari, we’re so proud!

Sound Safari Teacher Script

Introduction (1 minute)

Teacher: "Good morning, explorers! Welcome to our Sound Safari. Do you know what a safari is?"
Pause for responses.
Teacher: "That’s right—a safari is a big adventure in the wild! Today, we’re going on a safari to discover the sounds that letters make. Are you ready to explore?"
Wait for cheers.
Teacher: "Fantastic—let’s begin!"

1. Warm-Up Song (5 minutes)

Teacher: "First, let’s wake up our voices with our Alphabet Sound Safari Song! When you hear a letter sound, I want you to move like the animal that begins with that sound. Ready?"

• Teacher: "Everyone stand up! Press play on the Alphabet Sound Safari Song."
• (As the song plays)
  • Encourage children to sing the chorus together:
  "Come along on our Sound Safari, hooray! Let’s find the sounds the wild animals say…"
  • Pause after each verse to highlight the letters:
  – "What sound did you hear at the start of ‘apple’? Yes—/a/!"
  – "Stretch tall like an apple tree when you hear /a/."
  – "What about /b/ for ball? Bounce your body!"
• Teacher: "Great job singing and moving! Let’s head to our letter flashcards."

2. Introduce Letter Sounds (5 minutes)

Teacher: "I have some special flashcards to show you. Each card has a letter and a picture that starts with that letter’s sound. Listen carefully, then repeat after me!"

• Display Alphabet Letter Flashcards one at a time.
  1. Teacher: (Hold up A) "This is the letter A. It makes the /a/ sound, like in apple—/a/ apple. Say it with me: /a/."
     Follow-Up: "Can you think of another word that starts with /a/?"
  2. Teacher: (Hold up B) "This is B. It makes the /b/ sound, like ball—/b/ ball. Say it with me: /b/."
     Follow-Up: "What other /b/ words can you share?"
  3. Teacher: (Hold up C) "This is C. It makes the /c/ sound, like cat—/c/ cat. Say it: /c/."
     Follow-Up: "What sound does ‘car’ start with? Yes, /c/."
  4. Repeat for M (/m/ monkey), S (/s/ snake), and T (/t/ tiger).
• Teacher: "You all did a wonderful job making those sounds! Now let’s take our props and go on a safari hunt."

3. Sound Safari Hunt (12 minutes)

Teacher: "Time to gear up! Put on your safari hats and binoculars. I’ve hidden picture cards around the room—each one starts with one of our letters: A, B, C, M, S, or T. When you find a card, bring it back, show me the picture, and tell me its first sound. Then we’ll stick it on our Sound Safari Hunt Chart. Ready? Go!"

• Teacher: "Remember: find a card, say the initial sound loud and proud—/m/ for monkey, /s/ for snake, and so on—then place it under the matching letter column on the chart."
• (Circulate, prompt students who need help:)
  Teacher: "What sound does ‘tiger’ start with? Yes, /t/. Great job!"
  Teacher: "Show me the /c/ sound with your hands—good, car like a cat!"
• After about 10 minutes:
  Teacher: "Two more minutes, explorers—let’s find one more card!"
• At 12 minutes total:
  Teacher: "All right, safari team, time’s up! Let’s return to our circle with our chart."

4. Reflection & Journaling (6 minutes)

Teacher: "You were amazing hunters! Now let’s sit in our circle with our Student Sound Journals. Pick one of the pictures you found on the chart and draw it in your journal. Then write the letter for its first sound—like M for monkey or S for snake. I’ll come around to help."

• (Students draw and write)
• Teacher (after ~3 minutes): "Who would like to share their drawing and letter?"
  • Volunteer: Student shows journal.
  Teacher: "Wow, I see a snake! What sound does snake start with? /s/! You wrote S—we love that. Let’s give a safari cheer!"
• Invite 2–3 more volunteers.

5. Closing Review (2 minutes)

Teacher: "Let’s quickly review our six letters and their sounds. Show me A—what sound? /a/. Show me B—/b/. C—/c/. M—/m/. S—/s/. T—/t/. You all are sound experts!"
Teacher: "One last time, let’s sing our chorus and move like our favorite animal. Stand up and press play on the Alphabet Sound Safari Song!"

• (Sing final chorus together, with animal motions.)

Teacher: "Wonderful job, explorers! You completed the Sound Safari and discovered all your letter sounds. Give yourselves a big round of applause!"

Sound Safari Student Journal

Name: ______________________ Date: __________

Entry 1: My First Find

Draw one object you found during the Sound Safari Hunt. Then write its initial sound letter below.







Initial Sound Letter: ______

Entry 2: My Second Find

Draw another object you discovered on the hunt. Then write its first letter sound below.







Initial Sound Letter: ______

Reflection: Favorite Sound

Which letter sound was your favorite today? Draw a picture of something that starts with that sound and write the letter.







Favorite Sound Letter: ______

Initial Sound Picture Cards

Cut out each card along the dotted lines. Use these cards during the Sound Safari Hunt to practice identifying initial letter sounds. Each card has a picture; say its name and first sound before sticking it on the chart.