Literacy activity, build a puzzle with instructions

Many people need to read instructions to do a particular job, to fill out an application, to build a toy for their child, etc.

Following instructions is a different type of reading than reading a story, a novel, a biography, the newspaper, etc. It requires people to think about what they are doing and to also probably follow a certain order or procedure.

One way to help your student(s) become accustomed to this type of reading is through actually building something that has written instructions to follow.

Something that you can do with them is to have them build a wood kit. Not all kits come with written instructions, so do check it out first to see if it would be an appropriate choice for your student and their goals.


If your student isn't into metal and gears, they may enjoy working with paper. Origami can be a fun craft to get in to; this origami kit explains what to do, and also illustrates the various folding techniques.

These are just a couple of examples. Find out what type of things your student might be interested in building. Do your research and make sure the selected item includes written instructions to follow. Then let the fun of learning and reading for a designated purpose begin.

It isn't so much that they build something that they can use; it can also be a gift for someone. Also, the practice of following written instructions is a transferable skill.

Cheryl Paton

Cheryl Paton earns income from qualified purchases made through links on this page.

Literacy and Phonetics - Alphabet Shirts

Children learn in a variety of ways. It's a good idea to incorporate different activities when teaching reading. It helps to reinforce the text when there is an activity to connect the reading to, other than just what is visual on the page, or the sound of one's voice.

This fun activity involves the kids coloring in letters on a shirt that they can wear.

Alphabet shirt, lower case, red, blue, purple toddler t-shirt

by CherylsArt

Of course, they don't have to color in the letters, they can just be fun to read and recite, to learn the order of the alphabet.

If you notice, the alphabet letters are shown in three different colors. The consonants are in red. The vowels are in blue. The crossover letters are in purple. Crossover letters are letters that sometimes act like a consonant, and sometimes like a vowel.

Most people are taught that the letter Y is sometimes a consonant and sometimes a vowel. Now Y has a pal; W.

W is also a crossover letter. The W acts like a consonant in the word - who. The W acts like a vowel, like a silent E in the word - flow.

Y can represent a variety of sounds. Y is a consonant in the word - yellow. Y acts like a long I in the word - fly, and like a long E in the word - baby.

A coloring alphabet shirt is a fun way to reinforce this concept. Teachers can wear alphabet shirts too.

Outline Art - Alphabet shirt, yellow, blue, green T-Shirt

by CherylsArt

Whether you're ordering a shirt for a teacher and/or student, I recommend acrylic paint markers for fabric. to color them in. The paint markers are quite permanent, and it's pretty simple to apply. Be sure to place a sheet of flat cardboard between the fabric layers before doing any coloring or painting on the shirts.

Happy reading; and coloring.

Cheryl Paton

Cheryl Paton earns income from qualified purchases made through the links on this page.