This document provides instructions for a learning task using play dough to teach letter formation to preschool students. Students roll play dough into snakes and form the snakes into matching upper and lower case letters. The teacher demonstrates letter formation and provides laminated letter models. The activity allows students to learn letters through a hands-on, independent activity using play dough to build letters based on visual models. Assessment involves students comparing their letters to models and making corrections.

1. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
Sample Album of Learning Task Documentation Entry
Learning Task: Play Dough Snake Letters
Description:
Students roll play dough ‘snakes’ between
their fingers. Sections of these snakes are
then formed into upper and lower case
matching letters. A different colour is used
to make the upper case letters than is used
for the lower case letters. Letters are
displayed side by side on a tray. Laminated
models of the upper and lower case letters
can be provided for the students.
Learning task adapted from:
http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/general_c
ontent/free_resources/crafts/sA_craft_dough
.jsp
Student Learning Outcomes:
Age Group:
4.5 to 6.5 years
Writing:
Prints letters of the alphabet
Subject Area:
Language
Prerequisite Concepts, Skills, & Values:
• follows class routines for selecting,
Subject Strand:
using and returning individual learning
Writing
tasks
Subject Topic: • adopts class routines for obtaining
Letter Formation teacher support to demonstrate
learning tasks and to obtain assistance
Background Information: • small muscle control to roll out play
Children need many experiences working dough snakes
with letters of the alphabet before they can • recognizes and names differences in
actually begin to print letters using a pencil colour
or marker. Understanding can begin in a • recognizes tactile shape of letter
receptive manner with activities such as shapes from work with sandpaper
having children move their fingers over the letters
shapes of sandpaper letter. In this learning • concepts about print – differentiating
task, students express their understanding of between upper and lower case letters
letter formation by shaping play dough on a printed page
snakes to match the letter models provided.
At the calumniating stage of this learning
task, perhaps after several successful
attempts at forming upper and lower case
letters separately the students attempt to
match upper and lower case versions of the
same letters.

2. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
• Show the child how to overlay
Learning Theory & Instructional snake sections to form a letter
Strategy: noting the starting position and
• the activity follows the constructivist naming the shapes.
theory of learning in that the child • Say that lines can be straight down,
learns about letter formation by diagonal or form circles.
actually building the letters
• show the child how to move the
themselves.
play dough to the tray.
• the instructional strategy is
independent learning with self- Play Dough Recipe:
correction
• 250 ml flour
• the teacher demonstrates the learning
• 125 ml salt
task for the child initially, then the
• 250 ml water
child works on his or her own
perhaps working with the same task • 30 ml vegetable oil
for several days to reach the mastery • 30 ml cream of tartar
level. • food colouring
• empty plastic containers
Student Characteristics Accommodated: • parchment paper
• accommodating both bodily
kinesthetic and naturalistic Instructions:
intelligences underlie the design of Mix the flour, salt, cream of tartar, and oil
this activity as student enjoy the together in a saucepan. Slowly add the
texture, sight, and smell of the play water to the mixture. Cook over medium
dough and observe the shapes and heat, stirring until the dough becomes stiff.
patterns of the letters. Pour your dough onto a sheet of
• the activity provides concrete parchment paper. Set aside to cool. When
experience leading to the more the dough is cool, knead it with your hands
abstract recognition and formation of until it is pliable but not mushy. Add a
printed letters. few drops of food colouring and knead
• visually impaired students are aided again to add colour to the dough.
with the tactile feel of the letters and
their large size Tools and equipment needed:
• children only engage in this activity • measuring utensils
when it is developmentally • stirring spoon
appropriate for them and are not • saucepan
forced to move along with the entire • eye dropper (pipette)
class or through the forced • stovetop burner
progression, which is inherent to • table
printed workbooks • parchment paper
Introduction of the Learning Task: Laminated Letter Sheets:
• Show the child how to remove the • associated file of English or Arabic
activity tray from the shelf noting the letters
placement of each item. • computer printout each of the
• Take the learning task to an open pages of the file
space at a table. • pages glued to card
• Demonstrate how to roll a piece of • letter cards laminated
play dough between your fingers to
form a long snake.

3. ECED4080 Creating Materials for Use by Young Children
Checklist of Tray Items:
1. tray
2. container of red play dough
3. container of blue play dough
4. container of yellow play dough
5. laminated sheets of letters
Extension Activities:
1. Students could go on to use
paintbrush strokes to form letters of
their names including a capital letter Alternate Play Dough Letter Activity:
at the beginning. For students who do not have the motor control
2. Students could use a wet sponge to to make play dough snakes into letters they
form letters on concrete or a could flatten the play dough into a sheet with a
chalkboard. rolling pin and use cookie cutter letters and
3. Students could use a large, thick numbers to help form the letters.
pencil to form letters and print their
names. Evaluation Rubric:
1. Has difficulty rolling play dough into
Enrichment Activities: snakes. Forms only a few line
1. Students could use play dough to strokes.
form numerals. 2. Forms letters with reversal and/or
2. Students could use play dough snakes missing strokes.
to form geometric shapes. 3. Forms most letters matching the models
3. Students could use play dough snakes provided.
to build layered three-dimensional 4. Form all letters correctly matching the
sculptures. upper and lower cases.
Assessment Techniques: Vocabulary:
1. Student compares play dough letters letter, upper case, lower case, play dough,
with printed models and self corrects. snake, print, model, blue, red, & yellow.
2. Instructor observes student while
working and provides formative References:
feedback. http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/general_co
3. Instructor examines and analyzes ntent/free_resources/crafts/sA_craft_dough.jsp
finished product.
Comments, Hints, & Suggestions:
Feedback Suggestions: Store play dough in airtight containers so that
1. How could you make the snakes an it does not dry out between uses.
even thickness all the way along?
2. What is different about this letter Key Words:
from the one on the printed sheet? writing, letter formation, upper case, lower
3. Which upper/lower case letter is not case, play dough, self correct, & matching
the same as the others?
4. All of the upper/lower case letters are
correct! Try to make the other set
now.
5. What are the upper/lower case
letterforms for this letter?