The hornbook, a wooden paddle with parchment attached, was one of the first devices used to teach reading. The Blackwell Hornbook Collection describes the history of hornbooks. Suggest that students emphasize the first letter of the character trait they selected by making it larger or a different color or by decorating it in a special way. Then ask students to draw a picture illustrating that character trait. Glue the character trait pictures to the paddles.
Students can also personalize their hornbooks with names or special decorations.
Create a classroom bulletin board. Today, students can create an ABC book about any subject in the curriculum, like the Endangered Species Project created by a fourth-grade class in Connecticut. The New England Primer was also used in colonial schools to teach reading. Have your students see how many words they can make using the capital letters at the top of the page and any of the word parts from the primer's Easy Syllables for Children page. Today, students can find online Phonics Activities too.