Learning the Letter S
Kindergarteners practice shape, sound, and formation.
Ms. Katie Rutledge’s Kindergarten class spent the morning with the lowercase letter s — how it looks, how it is formed, and the soft hiss it makes. The lesson began on the carpet and moved to the tables, where small hands tried the same letter in more than one way.
Ms. Rutledge wrote a lowercase s on the board and showed the class where to start: at the top, then a gentle curve that swings around and finishes in a little tail. She wrote it again, slowly, so everyone could watch the motion. “It sounds like a snake,” she said, drawing the sound out — “Sssssss.” A few children hissed back. She pointed to the curve. “And it looks like a snake, too.”
Before anyone picked up a tool, they traced a big s on the carpet with one finger. It was a low-stakes rehearsal: room to wobble, no marks to erase, just the shape moving through the arm.
At the tables, the same letter showed up in different materials. On a small whiteboard, a stylus made the stroke feel clear and repeatable. In clay, the s became something they could pinch and smooth, so the shape itself mattered as much as the motion. More than one material meant more than one way in.
By the end of the morning, the class had heard the hiss, seen the snake, traced the letter large, and built it again with a stylus and with clay. Watching, then a big motion, then a smaller, more careful one — a full pass through the letter rather than a single try.
These children are at the very start of reading. By the end of kindergarten they will sound out simple words like cat, hug, and bag, and they will begin to hold onto a few “trick words” — have, said, to, do — that do not play by the usual sound rules. English is full of those.
“I love teaching kindergarten because I get to witness the magic of that moment when reading finally clicks,” Ms. Rutledge said. “They begin to recognize the letters, connect the sounds, put the pieces together, and suddenly the words on the page have meaning. The excitement on their faces is truly amazing to watch.”
Jacksonville Country Day School
Located in Jacksonville, FL, Jacksonville Country Day School is a private school for Pre-K 3 through 5th grade. JCDS prepares students for a healthy and productive lifetime of intellectual exploration, character development, and social responsibility.
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