LETTER B -- Bears
This post's letter is B, and our theme is Bears, a favorite among preschoolers. Bears invite storytelling, imagination, and comforting routines—everything from teddy bear picnics to cuddly bedtime stories. Children enjoy pretending to move like bears, growling softly, and learning how bears live in the real world.
In our classrooms, we read classics like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Corduroy. Children explore counting with bear counters, sequence story events, and practice sorting by size and color. We talk about how bears prepare for winter, and for children who enjoy connections to faith, we gently name how God cares for all creatures—big and small. Activities may include making bear caves, acting out bear movements, or creating bear masks.
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Letter Sounds and Our Zoo-Phonics Friend
Our Zoo-Phonics friend for the week is Bubba Bear. When children say the /b/ sound, they bring their hands
together like soft bear paws and gently tap while saying “b-b-b.” This whole-body approach gives children
another way to anchor new learning. If you’d like to reinforce the sound at home, this short phonics song is
child-friendly and fun to sing along with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1bcER1Zzak
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We practice listening for the /b/ sound in words like bear, ball, bus, banana, and blocks. Children quickly begin
to recognize how the same sound appears in lots of different places throughout their day.
How We Form the Letter B
Using our Learning Without Tears approach, we introduce uppercase and lowercase B in a way that feels approachable for little hands. For uppercase B, we “draw a big line down, then hop back to the top for two little curves.” Lowercase b begins with “a big line down,” followed by a gentle curve that sits about halfway up the line. Children practice these motions in sand trays, on chalkboards, or with crayons and markers as they feel ready.
If you'd like to explore handwriting tips at home, Learning Without Tears offers helpful resources for families:
https://www.lwtears.com/resources
Theme Connection: Bears
The bear theme offers so many opportunities for imaginative play and early literacy. Children might read stories like Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? or Corduroy and talk about what their own teddy bears might do if they went on an adventure. They may set up a pretend “bear picnic,” compare big and small stuffed animals, or move around the room like hibernating bears waking up in spring.
At home, your child might enjoy creating a simple bear cave out of blankets or cardboard boxes, lining up teddy bears from smallest to largest, or telling you a story about what their favorite stuffed animal did today. Activities like these support storytelling, sequencing, and emotional expression — all important parts of early learning.
The website The OT Toolbox has wonderful play-based ideas for children who enjoy animal-themed activities: https://www.theottoolbox.com/
Kindergarten Readiness Skill: Fine Motor Strength (WaKIDS/GOLD Objective 7)
This week’s readiness focus is developing fine motor strength and coordination, which supports everything from writing and drawing to buttoning coats and opening containers. When children squeeze playdough to make bear paws, string beads to create pretend “bear necklaces,” or trace the letter B in rice or shaving cream, they strengthen the muscles that will eventually help them form letters with more ease.
If you’re looking for ideas at home, making simple playdough together and shaping it into bear faces or paw prints is both fun and strengthening. You can find an easy no-cook playdough recipe here:
https://www.iheartnaptime.net/play-dough-recipe/
These small, joyful moments help build confidence and independence in everyday tasks.
Continuing the Learning at Home
There are many ways to weave the letter B into your family routines. You might take a “B hunt” around the house, noticing items that begin with the B sound. You could read favorite books featuring bears, such as The Bear’s Song by Benjamin Chaud or Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. Even bouncing a ball back and forth while saying “b-b-ball” turns letter learning into something active and meaningful.
Above all, our hope is that these early literacy experiences feel like invitations rather than tasks — playful opportunities to learn side by side with your child, discovering the joy that comes from exploring language and imagination together.
