Preschool:

Language activities emphasizing vocabulary, grammar, rhyming, fill-in-the blank (e.g., Santa put the present under the _____.), predicting sequence in stories (e.g., What do you think happened next?)

Use open-ended poems/finger plays for "fill-in" of rhyming word.

Listening activities emphasizing environmental sounds, following directions, patterns of melodies, rhythm/movement, stories with and without pictures.

Exposure to print in as many daily life situations as possible (e.g., phone book, storybooks, notes to parents, name signs, labels for areas of room, logos).

One-to-one correspondence in counting and printed material (e.g., teacher labels child's drawing and child "reads").

Kindergarten:

Continuation of preschool activities.

Encourage creative writing with inventive spelling.

Pair letters and sounds.

Categorize words by initial sound.

Emphasize rhythm in syllables, identify which words are longer (e.g., boat/umbrella).

Practice tongue twisters, "big" words.

Learn same/different, first, middle, last, as related to sounds.

Emphasize sound blending.

Word play - Say "Sunday" without "sun."

Word games - reverse first letter (e.g., lood guck) to make a code or tell the children to catch you saying the wrong word in a story (e.g., The little boy peeked in the oven and say a cape.)