start with a (a beginner guide to alphabet)

Start With A
A Beginner’s Guide to the Alphabet



Start With A
A Beginner’s Guide to the Alphabet

by A. M. Chabot


Copyright © 2000 FULL BLAST Productions

IN CANADA

IN THE UNITED STATES

FB Productions
Box 408
Virgil, Ontario
L0S 1T0

FB Productions
Box 1297
Lewiston, New York 14092-8297

Photocopying rights are granted to the individual teacher
or the single school purchasing the materials. A copy of
this book purchased by an individual teacher is that
teacher's property and can travel with her from school to

school. A single copy of this book may not be kept at a
resource center and used to service several schools. To be
entitled to copy this book, a teacher in the school or the
school itself must own an original copy.
Please respect copyright.
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Chabot, A. M., 1952Start with A : a beginner’s guide to the alphabet
ISBN 1-895451-37-X
English language -- Textbooks for second language learners. * 2. English
language -- Alphabet. I. DiSimone, Cynthia, 1959- . II. Title
PE1155.C42 2000

Printed in Canada.

ISBN 1-895451-37-X

428.2’4

C00-932952-8


INTRODUCTION
Start with A is a reproducible book designed to introduce learners to the alphabet
and guide them toward reading and writing. Each chapter is four pages long, and
follows a similar pattern.
The first feature of Start With A is each unit concentrates on a particular letter of the
alphabet. There are 26 units in the book: A to Z. Each unit presents ten vocabulary
words. Words often used in teaching the alphabet were chosen. The letter in focus
may appear anywhere in the vocabulary word (e.g. For the letter A: arm, hat,
banana, etc.). The vocabulary words are introduced by ten clearly labeled

illustrations. Immediately, the learners can begin to associate the printed word with
the pictures in preparation for meeting many of these words in their reading texts.
The first task for you and your students is to study the drawings and their associated
words. It is strongly recommended that you allow your students to hear each word
repeated several times, and allow your students a chance to say the words out loud.
You may decide to spell each word for your students. After studying the ten
drawings, the students then circle all the examples of the letter in focus for that unit.
Start With A gives students ample opportunity to print the letters they are learning.
In the first printing exercise the learners are guided in the formation of the letters by
shadow letters and numbered strokes.
Their next opportunity is a cloze exercise. Here the students are given vocabulary
words from the unit and they need only fill in the blanks with the letter in focus for that
lesson.
From there, the learners practice, with shadow letters and numbered strokes, writing
whole words from the unit.
Finally, in another exercise, the students are given a chance to print the letters
without shadow letters or numbered strokes. It is hoped that with this amount of
exposure and practice, learning will be both enjoyable and effective.
Other exercises include a matching the word with the picture exercise.
For working with sounds, in another exercise the learners are presented with several
of the illustrations from the unit. The students are asked to identify those that begin
with the letter in focus. This should help them to associate the letter with the sound or
sounds in some cases.
A more challenging part of Start With A is a Tic-Tac-Toe exercise. This task gives the
learners a chance to apply their cognitive skills in identifying three related items on a
Tic-Tac-Toe grid. The grid contains nine words and the students must decide which
three have the most in common. You should read the words aloud to your students,
and make sure they know the meaning of each word. If the learners need help with
a particular puzzle, there is a clue printed upside down below each grid.

Another feature of Start With A is a connect the dots drawing at the end of
each unit. Rather than use numbers, the learners are given a playful
opportunity to follow the letters of the alphabet in their proper order to complete the
picture.
With Start With A, repetition and discovery work hand in hand as the learners
acquire new and valuable knowledge.
Enjoy!
A. M. Chabot


Aa

A is the first letter of the alphabet.

Apple begins with the letter A.

➔
a p p l e

1. The following words with illustrations contain the letter A. Study the words
with your teacher. After you study all the words, circle all the A’s.

b a n a n a

a r m

h a t

m a n

g o a t

a p r o n

b a l l

a n t

a p e

1


2. Follow the arrows to trace the upper case and lower case letters below.
The first one is done for you.

A A A A A
a a a a a
1

1

2

2

1

3

3

1

2

2

2

1

3

3

1

1

1

2

3

1

2

1

2

3. Draw a line to match the picture with the word.

ape

goat

ball

hat

4. Fill in the missing letter or letters in the words below.
1) ___ p r o n

4) b ___ n ___ n ___

2) b ___ l l

5) ___ p e

3) ___ n t

6) h ___ t
2

2

2


5. Follow the arrows and trace all the letters in the words below.

a pp l e
g o a t
b a l l
1

2

2

1

2

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

1

2

2

1

1

2

6. Put an X in the box below the drawings that begin with the letter A.
2

1

3

4

5

7. Tic-Tac-Toe: Draw a line through the three words on each Tic-Tac-Toe grid
that have the most in common.
1

2

3

apple

cup

coat

cake

rake

lake

ape

boat

apple

ant

four

man

arm

ball

goat

cow

zebra

butter

apron

big

soup

hat

apple

soup

sun

box

puppy

rhyming words

3

animals

first letter

Hints:


8. Practice writing the letter A. The first one is done for you.

A
a
1

2

3

1

2

9. Starting at A, connect the dots by following the letters of the alphabet.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Unscramble the letters and name what is in the picture. EIRPAALN
4


Bb

B is the second letter of the alphabet.

Bat begins with the letter B.

➔
b a t

1. The following words with illustrations contain the letter B. Study the words
with your teacher. After you study all the words, circle all the B’s.

b a l l

c a b b a g e

b e d

b a n a n a

b u t t o n

b o a t

z e b r a

b o x

e l b o w

5


2. Follow the arrows to trace the upper case and lower case letters below.
The first one is done for you.

B B B B B
b b b b b
1

1

2

3

3

1

1

2

1

2

1

2

3

2

1

1

2

3

2

1

3

2

3. Draw a line to match the picture with the word.

ball

zebra

boat

elbow

4. Fill in the missing letter or letters in the words below.
1) ___ a t

4) c a ___ ___ a g e

2) ___ o a t

5) ___ u t t o n

3) ___ o x

6) z e ___ r a
6

2

1

2

5. Follow the arrows and trace all the letters in the words below.

b a n a n a
e l b o w
b o x

1

1

2

1

1

2

1

2

1

2

2

1

1

2

2

1

1

3

2

2

4

1

1

2

1

1

2

1

2

6. Put an X in the box below the drawings that begin with the letter B.
2

1

3

4

5

7. Tic-Tac-Toe: Draw a line through the three words on each Tic-Tac-Toe grid
that have the most in common.
1

2

3

bone

flower

ice

cat

hat

bat

ball

soup

flower

bed

bat

box

elbow

cup

goat

cup

bubble

bed

heart

cake

goat

bubble

arm

banan

ant

box

apple

rhyming words

7

double letter

first letter

Hints:


8. Practice writing the letter B. The first one is done for you.

B
b
1

2

3

1

2

9. Starting at A, connect the dots by following the letters of the alphabet.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Unscramble the letters and name what is in the picture. JNBOA
8


Cc

C is the third letter of the alphabet.

Cup begins with the letter C.

➔
c u p

1. The following words with illustrations contain the letter C. Study the words

with your teacher. After you study all the words, circle all the C’s.

c h a i r

d o c t o r

c a t

f a c e

c a r

c a r r o t

w a t c h

c a k e

s o c k s

9


2. Follow the arrows to trace the upper case and lower case letters below.
The first one is done for you.

C C C C C
c c c c c
1

1

1

1

1

1

3. Draw a line to match the picture with the word.

car

watch

carrot

cat

4. Fill in the missing letter or letters in the words below.
1) w a t ___ h

4) s o ___ k s

2) f a ___ e

5) ___ a r

3) ___ u p

6) ___ a k e
10

1

1

1

1


5. Follow the arrows and trace all the letters in the words below.

c h a i r
c a r r o t
c u p
1

1

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

1

1

2

1

2

1

1

1

2

2

2

2

1

1

6. Put an X in the box below the drawings that begin with the letter C.
2

1

3

4

5

7. Tic-Tac-Toe: Draw a line through the three words on each Tic-Tac-Toe grid
that have the most in common.
1

2

3

ant

face

carrot

cat

watch

chair

doctor apron

car

bed

cup

apple

dog

apple

car

puppy flower

bed

socks

car

cabbage

goat

face

cake

animals

11

boat
rhyming words

food

Hints:

goat

coat


8. Practice writing the letter C. The first one is done for you.

C
c
1

1

9. Starting at A, connect the dots by following the letters of the alphabet.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Unscramble the letters and name what is in the picture. ODEICROLC
12


Dd

D is the fourth letter of the alphabet.

Dog begins with the letter D.

➔
d o g

1. The following words with illustrations contain the letter D. Study the words
with your teacher. After you study all the words, circle all the D’s.

d o o r

b e d

d o c t o r

d r a g o n

h a n d

d u c k

p u d d l e

d o l l

d r e s s

13


2. Follow the arrows to trace the upper case and lower case letters below.
The first one is done for you.

D D D D D
d d d d d
1

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

3. Draw a line to match the picture with the word.

door

hand

dragon

dress

4. Fill in the missing letter or letters in the words below.
1) ___ o g

4) ___ r e s s

2) ___ r a g o n

5) p u ___ ___ l e

3) ___ o c t o r

6) ___ o l l
14

2

1

2


5. Follow the arrows and trace all the letters in the words below.

d r e s s
h a n d
d u c k
2

1

1

1

1

2

2

1

1

2

1

1

2

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

2

1

3

6. Put an X in the box below the drawings that begin with the letter D.
2

1

3

4

5

7. Tic-Tac-Toe: Draw a line through the three words on each Tic-Tac-Toe grid
that have the most in common.
1

2

3

dog

cold

puddle

goat

dog

cat

zebra

bed

lid

doctor

cake

elbow

bed

dress

duck

ape

door

rain

dress

door

lid

elbow

dollar

dog

animals

15

double letter

animals

Hints:

hand puddle cake


8. Practice writing the letter D. The first one is done for you.

D
d
1

2

1

2

9. Starting at A, connect the dots by following the letters of the alphabet.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Unscramble the letters and name what is in the picture. GDO
16


Ee

E is the fifth letter of the alphabet.

Elephant begins with the letter E.

➔

e l e p h a n t

1. The following words with illustrations contain the letter E. Study the words
with your teacher. After you study all the words, circle all the E’s.

e r a s e r

e g g

c h e e s e

b e e

c a k e

c o f f e e

q u e e n

z e b r a

e l b o w

17


2. Follow the arrows to trace the upper case and lower case letters below.
The first one is done for you.

E E E E E

e e e e e
2

2

2

1

1

2

1

2

1

1

3

3

3

3

3

4

4

4

4

4

2

2

2

1

1

1

3. Draw a line to match the picture with the word.

zebra

elephant

queen

cake

4. Fill in the missing letter or letters in the words below.
1) ___ l ___ p h a n t

4) ___ g g

2) c h ___ ___ s e

5) z ___ b r a

3) ___ r a s ___ r

6) ___ l b o w
18

2

2

1

1