86 letter O show and tell ideas for preschool: things that start with O, toys and household items, each marked by sound. Plus what your child can say.
Looking for show and tell letter O ideas? O is a vowel, so the things that start with O do not sound alike: octopus, oatmeal and owl begin with three different sounds. Each idea below is marked by the sound it makes, which helps when the teacher asks for short O. Find something your preschooler likes, practice two short sentences, and show and tell (or show and share) is ready.
The O sound taught first is short /o/, as in octopus and olive. Many O words say the letter name instead (oatmeal, ocean, oval), and some make another sound entirely (owl, orange, one, oven). Each idea is marked, so you can match what the class is practicing.
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Three short sentences are enough for a three to five year old. Practice once at home with the item in hand.
For a child who loves an audience: hide the item in a bag and give three clues. "It lives in the ocean. It has eight arms. It starts with O." The class guesses before the reveal.
An orange, a packet of oatmeal, an oven mitt, a toy octopus, a stuffed owl and a pair of overalls are the easiest picks. If the teacher asks for the short O sound, choose an octopus, olives, an otter or odd socks.
A toy octopus, a stuffed owl or otter, the Operation game and Optimus Prime start with O. For characters, try Olaf, Oscar the Grouch or an Octonauts toy.
Look for an oven mitt, an ornament, an old key, an old photo or the October page of a calendar. The kitchen usually has an orange, an onion, oatmeal, olives or Oreos.
Ox, owl, one, oval, otter and olive are short words a three to five year old can say clearly. Octopus is longer, but most children love saying it.
Short O says /o/, as in octopus, olive and otter. Long O says its name, as in oatmeal and ocean, and words like owl, orange and one make other sounds.
Most teachers are happy with anything that starts with O, such as an orange or oatmeal. If the class is practicing short O, an octopus, an otter or olives match the sound exactly.
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Teaching O at home this week? Here are 10 hands-on letter O activities.
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