Alphabet Fine Motor Skills Task Boxes

Description

This fine motor task boxes set is filled with 10 engaging alphabet activities designed to help your students master all 26 capital and lowercase letters and their sounds. Perfect for morning tubs, early finishers, math centers, or busy boxes, this set of alphabet activities targets the development of standards-aligned literacy concepts and fine motor skills in preschool and kindergarten students while also fostering independence and excitement about school. Designed to be completed independently, these fine motor activities build finger strength, dexterity, and coordination while giving you time to take care of some of the many other tasks that demand your attention each day!

These Alphabet Fine Motor Task Boxes Include:

This set includes ideas and printable materials for 10 fine motor alphabet activities. Each task is designed to fit into a standard plastic pencil box and includes a printable label, picture directions, and other materials (such as work mats or task cards). The tasks in this set are intended to help your students master kindergarten reading standards but are appropriate for any child that needs practice with letters and sounds.

The included alphabet activities are:

▶ Letter Matching Uppercase and Lowercase Mats
Students match lowercase or capital magnetic letters or tiles to corresponding letters.

▶ Letter-Sound Picture Mats
Students match magnetic letters to pictures that represent initial sounds.

▶ Letter Mazes
Students use dry erase markers to trace a letter path.

▶ Dot Designs Letter Matching and Letter Paths
Students use transparent circular counters to cover letters, creating a design. An alternative circle counter activity is included where students slide the counter along a path connecting a capital and lowercase letter and a beginning sound picture.

▶ Letter Matching and Letter-Sound Punch Strips
Students use a hole punch to mark letters that match or to mark letters that match a picture representing a sound.

▶ Playdough Letter Mats
Students form letters out of playdough.

▶ Letter and Letter-Sound Clip Cards
Students use clothespins to mark letters that match or to match letters to pictures representing a sound.

▶ Linking Letters
Students use plastic chain links (learning links) to connect capital and lowercase letters to a picture that represents the beginning sound. Alternate instructions are included to have students only match capital and lowercase letters (without the pictures).

▶ Sign, Trace, and Write
Students practice forming American Sign Language letters with their fingers and then trace and write the corresponding letter with a dry erase marker.

▶ Alphabet Sound Cube Cards
Students use connecting cubes (snap cubes) to build models representing a word beginning with each letter of the alphabet.

How to Use These Fine Motor Activities:

Once you get your students started with these task boxes with some initial instructions, they will be up and running and ready for independence! These alphabet fine motor task boxes are perfect to grab during any of the times that you need students to be independent, engaged, and productive. Use these simple fine motor activities as morning tubs when students arrive in the classroom (a soft start is a great way to let students gently adjust to the school day) or as early finishers for children who finish their work quickly. These alphabet activities are also useful during literacy center time, indoor recess, or any time students need a quiet break to re-focus.

To prepare these Alphabet Fine Motor Task Boxes, print and laminate the activity label and instructions as well as the printable activity materials. Attach the activity label to the outside of the box and the illustrated instruction card inside the lid. (You can use Velcro to attach the labels if you want to have the flexibility to easily switch activities throughout the year!) Place all listed materials inside the box. Each activity requires the inclusion of other classroom items such as manipulatives or basic classroom supplies (listed below).

Once assembled, these fine motor activities stack easily on a shelf. Teach your students what procedures you would like them to follow for use and clean up. Some teachers allow students to come into the classroom and quietly select any of the morning tubs, while others prefer a check-in/out system that encourages children to cycle through the activities. Another option is to make a selection of task boxes available at each table and rotate them as the week goes on. This option can cut down on transition time and allow students to quickly choose an early finisher or literacy center activity.

What Teachers Are Saying:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “These were such an awesome way to transition my pre-K class from breakfast to circle time. It was so easy to just pull out these little boxes and have them use those rather than going straight to centers before our morning meeting. I love that there are so many to choose from and so easy to clean up.” –Brian C.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “My students love this activity. I typically use it in small groups, and they find it fun and engaging. I love the visuals that came with it. Great resource, highly recommend.” -Morgan C.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “My students who typically do not engage with letter work were incredibly motivated to start using these task boxes. The bright color options were a quick interest for my students. There are so many different ways to use the various activities included in this resource. I have only started to use some of the activities in order to start building letter recognition skills, but I am excited to continue to challenge my students with the remaining activities as their skills develop.” –Miss Fitz

Recommended Materials List (not included in purchase):

copy paper, card stock, laminator/film
lowercase magnetic letters
(2 sets OR 1 set and 1 set of lowercase letter tiles)
capital magnetic letters
(1 set OR 1 set of capital letter tiles)
dry erase markers/erasers
¾” circular counters in two colors
hole punches
playdough (small container)
clothespins
connecting cubes (snap cubes)
plastic chain links (math links, learning links)

Why are fine motor skills important?

Research shows that well-developed fine motor skills in young children are a predictor of academic success. It makes sense that children with dexterity and hand strength would be more successful in a classroom that requires writing and drawing, but researchers have found that the connection goes beyond that. Through a series of studies using longitudinal data that tracked students from kindergarten through eighth grade, researchers determined that strong fine motor skills in the early years of life help form connections in the brain that lead to greater academic achievement throughout the school years. Unfortunately, advances in technology have led many families away from traditional activities that promote fine motor development. The time that many children spend using computers, tablets, and smartphones is time that they are not spending building, drawing, and manipulating objects in the world around them. Many children are beginning school with a deficit of motor skills, both gross and fine. It is important for schools to give children many opportunities to build those skills.

If you have any questions, email susan@myhappyplaceteaching.com or use the contact form on this site.

Thank you for shopping!

Susan Jennings (My Happy Place)

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Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

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