Writing Center 1
Making Books
Goal
Students will use knowledge of alphabetic principle to write their own books.
Basic Center
Materials
 Classroom alphabet chart
 Paper
 Variety of writing and drawing materials
Preparation
Teacher will:
 Read aloud a variety of alphabet books.
 Discuss the content and text structure used with an alphabet book.
 Determine with the class, the pattern or structure to be followed in order to
make a class alphabet book.
Procedures
Students will:
 Choose a letter from the alphabet to write following the established pattern or
structure.
 Illustrate letter page for the class book.
Beyond the Basic Center
Additional Center Ideas:
1. Provide a variety of materials for students to practice letter formation (glitter
pens, paint, smelly markers). As students complete a page of letters,
assemble the pages and staple into a book.
2. Take a photograph of each student and duplicate. Place pictures into an
envelope with students’ names printed on the front. Display envelopes in a
pocket chart. Students choose photos of their classmates in order to create a
book of friends. Students use alphabet stamps to stamp the first letter of their
friend’s name onto the top of a piece of paper. They then glue the picture
onto the middle of the page and write the friend’s name at the bottom of the
page. Students arrange pages alphabetically into individual books.
3. Read several alphabet books and tongue twisters utilizing alliteration.
Discuss the purpose and pattern of alliteration. Prompt the students to write
phrases using alliteration centered on a content area (Mature mathematicians
manipulate materials to maximize their minds.). Students choose an alphabet
letter and an aspect of the content area and write their sentence. The pages
are illustrated and complied alphabetically into a class book.
4. During a unit of study create an alphabetical word bank. Students select one
Alphabetic Principal
word from each letter of the alphabet bank. They write a sentence(s) for each
word selected. The sentence(s) should explain the significance of the word
as it relates to the unit of study. Illustrate each page and assemble into an
alphabet book.
5. Using a word bank from a unit of study, students write definitions for each
word and organize them alphabetically into a class dictionary.
Additional Resources
Bryan, A. ABC of African American Poetry: Ashley Bryan’s. Aladdin Paperbacks,
2001. ISBN 0689840454
Hiemen, S. Egypt’s ABCs: A Book about the People and Places of Egypt. Picture
Window Books, 2002. ISBN 1404800190
Hobbie, H. Toot and Puddle: Puddle’s ABC. Little Brown & Company, 2000.
ISBN 0316365939
Holabird, K. Angelina Ballerina’s ABC. Pleasant Company Publications, 2002.
ISBN 1584856130
McClintock, M. Q Is for Duck: A Alphabet Guessing Game. Houghton Mifflin
Company, 1980. ISBN 0395300622
Merriam, E. Spooky ABC. Simon & Schuster Children’s, 2002. ISBN
0689853564
Metropolitan Museum of Art. Museum ABC. Little, Brown & Company, 2002.
ISBN 03160706
Shannon, G. Tomorrow’s Alphabet. Econo-Clad Books, 1999. ISBN 0613181964
Tapahonso, L. Navajo ABC: A Dine Alphabet Book. Aladdin Paperbacks, 1999.
ISBN 0689826850
Wilbur, R. The Disappearing Alphabet. Harcourt Inc., 2001. ISBN 015216362X
Wood, A. Alphabet Adventure. Scholastic, Inc., 2001. ISBN 043908069X