Keep the Commandments – First Letters

Today’s fun and easy no-prep activity will have the kids noticing the differences and similarities in the repeating phrases of Keep the Commandments! It uses just the first letters of each word of the song for a fun, and unique, way to introduce this song.

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Keep the Commandments
First Letters

How to Play:

• Cut out each of the first letter strips out individually, so they can be moved around and flipped over.
• Post the first letter strips on the board. You can put them in order or have them scrambled.
• Ask the kids: What do you notice? What patterns do you see? What might the letters represent?
• As they start to uncrack the code, sing through the song again to see how the code “fits” their guesses.
• When the puzzle is solved, again point out what’s the same and what’s different. Do they notice the repeating letter phrases? How about the slightly different ones like ITTIS / ITTIP?
• Let the kids flip upside down 2 of the letter strips. Sing through the song singing only the words from the face-up letter strips! Continue flipping additional word strips upside down and singing through the song again.

Extension Activities:

• Hide the letter strips around the room and have the kids find them first, then rearrange them in order.
• Sing only certain verses, such as:
  • Skip sing every other letter strip.
  • Now try singing every 3^rd strip.
  • Sing every other word.
  • Sing only the first word of each letter strip.
  • Say/sing the letters instead of the words.
  • Sing only the ones that have a “match”.
  • Sing only the ones that are different (no match).  

Keep the Commandments
First Letters Lesson Plan

This printable version of the lesson plan includes directions on how to use this Keep the Commandments First Letters game during Singing Time. Plus lots of extension ideas and more ways to play! This page is perfect to keep in your Singing Time binder and to stash away the lesson plan idea later.

There are 2 pages for each verse with first letters only. You can print just the pages you need or simply write the first letters on the whiteboard (and erase instead of flip over) as needed.

Click here —> to Print Keep the Commandments
First Letters Lesson Plan

What other fun ways could you use these first letter strips to teach Keep the Commandments?