LETTER E -- Emotions
This week we are exploring the letter E, and our theme is one that is deeply meaningful in early childhood: Emotions. Preschoolers experience big feelings every single day—joy, frustration, curiosity, surprise, nervousness, excitement—and part of our learning together is helping them name those feelings, understand them, and discover healthy ways to express them. When children learn the language of emotions, they build confidence, empathy, and stronger relationships with others.
Learning the letter E becomes a natural extension of this theme, inviting us to notice the feelings that begin with E—excited, energetic, eager, and sometimes even exhausted—while building phonics skills in a developmentally supportive way.
Letter Sounds and Our Zoo-Phonics Friend
Our Zoo-Phonics character this week is Ellie Elephant, who helps us remember that E often makes the short /e/ sound.
Children pretend their arm is an elephant trunk, curling it and swaying it forward as they say “e-e-e.” These playful
motions help anchor the sound in memory.
As we explore E words—elephant, egg, engine, enter, emotion—we play with the short E sound at the beginning of
each one. If your child enjoys singing along to reinforce phonics, this gentle letter E song is a nice option for home:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZ6dKOHYQ_s
How We Form the Letter E
Learning Without Tears introduces uppercase E with a “big line down” and “three little lines across,” a rhythm children quickly pick up on. Lowercase e begins with a “small line across” and then a curve that loops around to close the shape. Practicing E in sensory trays—salt, rice, or even shaving cream—helps children become comfortable with these strokes before transferring them to paper.
For families who enjoy exploring handwriting at home, Learning Without Tears offers helpful resources here: https://www.lwtears.com/resources
Theme Connection: Emotions
Talking about emotions helps children make sense of their world and understand that all feelings are normal and welcome. In the classroom, we might look at pictures of facial expressions, read stories about feelings, or take turns acting out different emotions for friends to guess. Books like The Color Monster by Anna Llenas or In My Heart by Jo Witek offer beautiful ways to begin these conversations.
Children may draw “feeling faces,” create art inspired by how they’re feeling that day, or sort photos of expressions into categories like “happy,” “curious,” or “tired.” Naming emotions not only builds vocabulary—it strengthens empathy and self-regulation.
If you’d like to explore resources at home, The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) has wonderful family-friendly tools: http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/resources/family.html
Kindergarten Readiness Skill: Emotional Expression (WaKIDS/GOLD Objective 3)
This week’s readiness skill is Emotional Expression, which focuses on how children identify and communicate their feelings. Children who can express emotions in words or gestures often navigate social situations more confidently and develop resilience when facing challenges.
At home, you might try asking open-ended questions like, “What color do you feel like today?” or “What made you feel proud this week?” You could also create a simple “feelings chart” together that your child can point to when words are hard to find. The website Big Life Journal offers supportive ideas for nurturing emotional awareness and growth mindset: https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/kids-understand-feelings
Continuing the Learning at Home
There are many gentle ways to weave the letter E into daily routines. You might look for E’s in storybooks or signs around town, crack open an egg together for breakfast, or play a guessing game: “Can you think of something in this room that starts with the /e/ sound?”
And because this week’s theme centers on feelings, you might also pause together to notice moments of connection—an encouraging hug, something that made you laugh, or a time when your child showed kindness. These early emotional skills are some of the greatest gifts we can offer children as they grow.
Thank you for continuing to support your child’s learning journey at home. Each shared conversation, story, or moment of imagination builds the foundation for both literacy and emotional well-being.
