Big K and little k both have a tall line, but their kicks are different. Big K has two lines that kick out from the middle of its tall line, and little k has a smaller kick tucked in the middle. Big K can look a lot like an X, a Y or an R, and little k can look like an h or an x. Then there is the /k/ sound at the start of “kangaroo” and “kite.” That is a lot for a preschooler to sort out, and the Letter K Game turns all of it into a sunny outback adventure.
Meet Abby in the red-earth outback! She explores Gum Tree Gully, where every treasure chest opens when your child finds the big K, then Koala Creek, where every koala gets a kite when your child finds the little k. Then Bomzy grabs all the kites, and on Red Rock Hill kids find big K, little k and pictures that start with K to get them back.
Before you play, draw a big K in the air together: one tall line down, then kick in and kick out. Then make a little k: a tall line, and a little kick in the middle. Can your child find something in the room that starts with K, like a key?
Watch Abby play the Letter K Game
How to play
- Press Play. Abby reads every direction out loud, so kids who can’t read yet can play on their own.
- In Gum Tree Gully, tap a treasure chest. Abby walks over and a card asks for the big K. Tap the big K and the chest pops open, its keys fly into Abby’s backpack, and some chests give a reward like an energy boost or a gold compass.
- At Koala Creek, tap a koala. Find the little k and Abby’s kite sails over to the koala, who keeps it beside its gum tree.
- Tap the kangaroo, the wombat, the emu or the platypus any time for a silly surprise.
- On Red Rock Hill, Bomzy has the kites. Find a big K, a little k or a picture that starts with K, like kangaroo, koala, kite and key. Each right answer is a hit on Bomzy, and after four hits he gives the kites back.
- A wrong answer costs one of five hearts and Abby gives a kind hint. Get 3, 5 and 10 in a Row, beat your High Score, go for a Perfect Game, and earn up to five stars at the end.
What kids learn
The Letter K Game helps preschoolers recognize the uppercase and lowercase letter K and hear that words like kangaroo start with K, practice that matches the Common Core foundational skills for recognizing letters (RF.K.1.d) and connecting letters to their sounds (RF.K.3.a). Abby uses the same words teachers use: big K, little k, tall line, kick and starts with the letter K.
- Big K has a tall line, and two lines that kick out. It is not an X or a Y, which have no tall line, and not an R, which has a bump.
- Little k has a tall line, and a little kick in the middle. It is not an h, which has a bump, and not an l or a t, which have no kick.
- Kangaroo, koala, kite and key all start with the letter K.
- Sun, fish, ball and hat do not start with K, so kids learn to say each name and listen for the first sound.
Try this at home or in class: make a paper kite with a big K and a little k on it and fly it around the room. Hop like a kangaroo every time someone says a word that starts with K!
Members and teachers can assign the Letter K Game to students with a Classroom link, and every child’s score shows up for the teacher automatically.
