A 5–10 MINUTE ACTIVITY
Hat, hand, hop
Use the displayed picture, two or three large paper letter cards and a familiar spoken example. No independent word reading is required. Begin with a modeled turn; stop or simplify if the task becomes a vocabulary or motor challenge.
Name the hat picture and say hat, hand and hop. Notice the gentle breath at the beginning.
Place H and h together. The learner can trace their shapes in the air while the adult says the examples.
Mix hat, ball and hop, and invite the learner to hold the h card for the two target beginnings.
Teach it. Then check.
Objective
Pair H/h and distinguish the selected /h/ beginnings from a familiar contrast.
Check for learning
Offer hat and sun orally. Can the learner select the /h/ example and locate h among h and n?
Make it more accessible
Keep visual letter choices clearly spaced and provide picture names. Pointing is enough.
Extend when ready
Compare hat and cat with known letters, noticing the changed initial sound while the rest stays similar.
Try it at home
Find a hat or draw one. Ask a grown-up to write H/h, then read another h word from a book rather than assuming every h is pronounced.