What about creative writing where children dictate to you? For instance, sometimes we go for a walk and then come back and write a story about the experience. The kids dictate the story to me and I write it down on large pieces of paper. As I write, I note both letter names and the sounds the letters. This process also helps them see how letters make words and words make sentences. Then, after the story is finished, we put it together into a "book" and the children illustrate it. I also have them dictate recipes (like how to cook the Thanksgiving turkey) which are often very, very funny.

Another fun game is to bury magnetic alphabet letters in the sand and have the children go on an Alphabet Treasure Hunt. Watching and listening as they dig and discover letters is how I judge who knows what. I've also done this with a water table and little fishing nets where they catch the letters.

If you have space, a writing center (with paper, markers, crayons, etc.) is a good place for them to "play" with writing. They can pretend to write anything in the writing center and then "read" it to you. It is a great way for them to explore on their own level.

Hope this helps!

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