Big I and little i look very different. Big I is a tall line with a bar on top and a bar on the bottom, and little i is a short line with a dot on top. Big I can look a lot like a T, an L or an H, and little i can look like a j or an l. Then there is the short /i/ sound at the start of “igloo” and “insect.” That is a lot for a preschooler to sort out, and the Letter I Game turns all of it into a cozy ice castle adventure.
Meet Lexy at her sparkly ice castle! Big I’s, little i’s and pictures are frozen inside ice cubes on the snow. Kids press and hold an ice cube, a warm glow fills up around it, and the ice shivers, drips and cracks until the answer pops free and lands on its own little ice pedestal.
Before you play, draw a big I in the air together: one tall line, a bar on top and a bar on the bottom. Then make a little i: a short line, and add the dot with a pop!
Watch Lexy play the Letter I Game
How to play
- Press Play. Lexy reads every direction out loud, so even kids who are not reading yet know what to do.
- Look at the three ice cubes on the snow. Each one has a letter or a picture frozen inside.
- Press and hold the ice cube with the right answer. Hold your finger on the ice and watch the warm glow melt it away. (A quick tap melts it halfway, and a second tap finishes the job.)
- The answer pops free and hops onto its ice pedestal, and Lexy names it with a tip, like “Little i! A short line with a dot on top.”
- Play three rounds: big I, then little i, then pictures that start with I, like igloo, iguana, inchworm and insect.
- Build streaks for 3, 5 and 10 in a Row, chase a High Score, go for a Perfect Game, and earn up to five stars at the end.
What kids learn
The Letter I Game helps preschoolers recognize and name the uppercase and lowercase letter I and hear the short /i/ sound at the beginning of words (Common Core RF.K.1d and RF.K.3a). Kids practice:
- Big I: a tall line with a bar on top and a bar on the bottom.
- Little i: a short line with a dot on top.
- I pictures: igloo, iguana, inchworm and insect all start with I.
- Looking carefully: big I sits next to letters like T, L and H, and little i sits next to j and l, so kids learn to spot the bars and the dot.
Try this at home or in class: stand up tall like a big I with your arms stretched out flat on top, then crouch down small and pop up like the dot on a little i!
More practice with the letter I
- Letter I Song: sing and dance along with the letter I.
- Letter I Tracing Worksheet: trace big I and little i on paper.
- Letter I Handwriting Practice Worksheet: write the letter I on your own.
- Letter H Game: fly a helicopter rescue with Sunny.
- Letter G Game: crack open sparkly yarn gems with Roxy.
Teachers and members can assign the Letter I Game to the whole class with a Classroom link, so every student plays the full game on any device.
