The Letter A
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Basics on the topic The Letter A
Introduction to the Letter A
Let's dive into the exciting world of letters by starting at the very beginning of the alphabet with the letter A. It's not only the first letter of the alphabet, but also a cornerstone in building our language skills. Whether you're reading or writing, recognising and knowing the sounds of the letter A is very important!
Understanding the Letter A – Definition and Sounds
The letter A is the first letter in the English alphabet. It makes the sound /a/ as in apple.
When combined with other letters, the letter a can make an /ay/ sound as in play, cake and rain. This versatile letter appears in many words, and mastering its sounds is essential for early reading development.
Writing the Letter A – How to?
Writing the letter a, whether it is a capital or lower case letter, is very easy! Read the text, follow the instructions and complete exercises on our webpage for more. Follow the steps below to write a pre-cursive letter a.
| Step | Instruction | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start on the black line |  |
| 2 | Whoosh to the blue line. |  |
| 3 | Form a curly c shape. |  |
| 4 | Join back up to the top with a straight line. |  |
| 5 | Come straight back down and finish with a small flick. |  |
The Letter A – Example Sentences and Words
Let's look at the letter a in action! The capital A might be used at the beginning of a sentence: "A cat sat on the mat." Here, the letter A appears as a word and as the second letter in "cat" with its short /a/ sound.
The lowercase 'a' might appear in the middle or end of words, like in "banana" or "spa," where it can make different sounds depending on the word.
Words with the Letter A
Because the letter a is so common, you can spot it in many words. Take a look at the table with commonly used words that begin with, contain or end with the letter a:
| Begin With | Contain | End With |
|---|---|---|
| after | man | a |
| about | pan | tuna |
| all | sat | pita |
| am | has | llama |
The Letter A – Summary
Key Learnings from this Text:
- The letter a is the first letter and vowel of the English alphabet.
- It can make different sounds in different words but we commonly associate it with the /a/ sound as in apple.
- Recognising both capital "A" and lower case "a" is important for reading and writing.
Keep practising the letter a with fun activities and crafts, and soon you'll be able to spot it everywhere!
The Letter A – Frequently Asked Questions
Transcript The Letter A
Let’s join Dee and Kala in the phonics garden and learn all about /a/. This is the letter A, it makes the sound /a/. This is a capital /A/ and this is a lower case /a/. They both make the /a/ sound like in apple, arrow and ant ! Let's practise the /a/ sound with Kala! "/A/, /a/!" Can you spy anything in the garden that begins with /a/? "There's an astronaut, that starts with /a/!" Is there anything else in the garden that starts with /a/? "There's an avocado that also begins with /a/!" Uh-oh! /A/ is hiding with the other letters! Can you help find /a/ in the alphabet? Point to the letter when you find it! Did you also point here? You did some great work in the phonics garden! Today we learnt all about /a/, we listened to and made the /a/ sound, we found words that begin with /a/ and found it in the alphabet! Interested in a challenge? Watch this video again and try to find the anchor, alligator and axe hidden in the garden! Comment below when and where you find them! If you want to learn more, check out the next sound!
The Letter A exercise
-
Which one is the correct letter?
HintsListen carefully to the sound, play it again and think about what you can hear.
This is an ___.
Look again at the picture above. What sound does this word start with?
SolutionThe correct letter is a. This makes the /a/ sound.
-
What sound does the letter make?
HintsThe word arrow starts with the sound.
Listen to all four sounds again. Which one is the same as the beginning of the word apple?
SolutionThe correct sound is /a/.
-
Find the objects that begin with "a".
HintsThere are 4 items that start with /a/ to highlight.
Listen to this word. Can you find it in the picture?
Listen carefully to the names of the objects.
SolutionThe four items that begin with a are:
- anteater
- arrow
- antelope
- abacus
-
What is the word?
HintsListen carefully. Which sound do you hear at the beginning?
Listen carefully. Which sound do you hear at the end?
Here we can see the words with pictures. Use this to help you find the matching pairs above.
SolutionThe words are:
- tap
- bat
- sack
- cap
-
Help Kala find the objects that begin with "a".
HintsListen to the sound. Which words begin with this sound?
Say all of the items out loud. In which ones do you hear the /a/ sound at the beginning?
There are two correct choices.
SolutionAlpaca and apple start with /a/.
-
Can you put the words in the correct group?
HintsListen carefully to this word. Do you hear a at the beginning or in the middle?
Think carefully about the first sound that you hear, is it a or a different sound?
There are 2 words that begin with a and 4 words that have a in the middle.
SolutionAstronaut and add have a at the beginning.
Hat, lamb, fan and crab have a in the middle.
Rhyming Words
The Letter S
The Letter A
The Letter T
The Letter P
The Letter I
The Letter N
The Letter M
The Letter D
The Letter G
The Letter O
The Letter K
The Letter H
The Letter E
The Letter R
The Letter U
The Letter L
The Letter B
The Letter F
The Letter J
The Letter Q(u)
The Letter W
The Letter V
The Letter X
The Letter Y
The Letter Z
Consonant Letter Sounds
Matching Letters to Consonant & Vowel Sounds— Let's Practise!
CVC Words: The Initial Consonant
CVC Words: The Middle Vowel
CVC Sounds: The Final Consonant
CVC Words
Long and short Vowel sounds
Words, Syllables & Sounds
Consonant Blends
Onsets & Rimes
Decoding: Look at the Picture
Decoding: Stretch out the Word
Counting & Segmenting Syllables
Final 'E' and Split Digraphs
Adjacent Consonants _r
Adjacent Consonants s_
Adjacent Consonants _t
Adjacent Consonants l
The Soft C
The Soft G
Alternative Pronunciation y (I)
