We Mix Up Our ABC's (Reading Engagement & Alphabet Sequencing): Home

Kindergarten, 1st

MASL School Library Instructional Standards

K-2: Reading Engagement: Connect: Recognize connections through reading. 

• Share about what my class is reading.

Missouri Learning Standards

K: Print Awareness: K.1.A.b: Develop print awareness in the reading process by:

• sequencing the letters of the alphabet.

1 - 45 minute class period

This lesson was created by Marlana Howerton from Ezard Elementary School. (Riddle created for the Alphabet Scavenger Hunt using AI)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Students explore the alphabet with We Mix Up Our ABCs by Aaron Wills through a read-aloud, a riddle-based alphabet scavenger hunt, and a fun "I Have, Who Has?" game. Great for reading engagement and sequencing the letters of the alphabet! 

• Book: We Mix Up Our ABCs by Aaron Wills
• Author Read-Aloud YouTube Video: We Mix Up Our ABCs – Author Read Aloud
• clipboard
• pencil
• Alphabet Scavenger Hunt worksheet and letter balloon cards (PDF link below)
  • Page 1: copy for each student or student pairs
  • Pages 2-5: print on cardstock and laminate for durability
• Optional: Alphabet I Have, Who Has? (PDF link below)
  • Pages 7-13: print on cardstock and laminate for durability
• Optional: Now I Know My ABC's tracing bookmark (PDF link below)
• Optional: For additional resources visit the author's website at https://www.abcmixup.com/free-book-download. 

Objectives:

• Students will be able to share about what they are reading. 
• Students will be able to sequence the letters of the alphabet. 

I Can Statements

• I can share about what I am reading. 
• I can put the letters of the alphabet in order. 

Before Reading

• Begin by discussing the alphabet with students. Ask if they can recite the ABCs. 
• Practice singing the alphabet song with students and explain how the song has a specific rhythm and rhyme. Allow students to clap/tap/snap to practice the rhythm of the song.
• Introduce the concept of mixing up the alphabet and explain that they'll explore this idea through a fun story called We Mix Up Our ABC's by Aaron Wills. ​

During Reading

• Play the YouTube video: We Mix Up Our ABCs – Author Read Aloud or read the book aloud. 
• Encourage students to sing along and pay attention to the different ways the alphabet is presented. 

After Reading

Discussion 

After the video or read aloud, discuss the story with students. Ask questions like:

• How did the children in the story mix up their ABCs?
• Was it fun to hear the alphabet in a different order? Why?
• What are some new ways you can think of to sing the ABCs?
• Did you notice that the first time you sang the alphabet song that the pages of the book had some letters with pictures behind them? Let's go back and take a look and see which letters you can find that have a picture that starts with the same letter. 
• Share with a shoulder partner something about what we read today. (Switch after 30-45 seconds)

Activity: Alphabet Scavenger Hunt:

• Hang letter balloon cards around the room before students arrive.
• Read the riddle aloud from the Alphabet Scavenger Hunt worksheet. Distribute the worksheet to all students, along with a clipboard and pencil. 
• Have students search for the letter balloon cards and write the letter above the number on their worksheet. 
• Once students finish finding all the letters and writing them on their worksheet, have everyone gather back together to try to answer the riddle. 
• As students are waiting on others to finish, have them practice tracing the alphabet at the bottom of the page. 

Optional Activity: If time allows, play Alphabet I Have, Who Has?

How to Play

• Since the story had a mixed-up alphabet, we are going to "un-mix" the letters and put them in order by playing I Have, Who Has? Another word for putting things in order is sequence. 
• Ask students to stand in the middle of the room. 

Distribute Cards

• Hand out one card to each student and then have them sit in a circle. Each card should say:
  • "I have [a letter]. Who has [the next letter]?"
  • Some students may get more than one card.

Example:

• "I have A. Who has B?"
• "I have B. Who has C?" … and so on until Z.

Start the Game

• Choose the student with the green “Start” at the top of the "I have A" card to begin. That student stands and reads the card aloud and sits back down.
• The student who has the card that says "I have B" stands up next and reads their card and sits back down.
• Continue the game as each student listens carefully and responds when they have the next letter.
• If you have a place to hang them, line the letters up in sequential order. 

Finish the Game

• The game ends when the student with "I have Z. The End" reads their card.

• Observe student participation during the story and discussion.
• Observe student participation and ability to put letters in sequential order. 

• This lesson could be a review or remediation activity for first graders.
• Pair students up to complete the Alphabet Scavenger Hunt, if needed. 
• If students finish the Alphabet Scavenger Hunt early, have them turn their paper over to practice writing the alphabet in order with a capital letter, followed by the corresponding lowercase letter. (ex. Aa, Bb, Cc)