Letters B and C — Bee, Cat, and Beginning Sounds

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." — Genesis 1:1

Two New Letters Today!

Yesterday we learned the letter A and its short /a/ sound. Today we are going to learn TWO new letters: B and C. These are both consonants. Consonants are all the letters that are NOT vowels. They help shape the sounds our mouths make.

Meet the Letter B

What Does B Look Like?

Uppercase B has a tall straight line with two bumps on the right side:

B

To write uppercase B:

1. Draw a tall straight line going down
2. Go back to the top
3. Draw a bump that comes out to the right and curves back to the middle
4. Draw another bump from the middle that curves down to the bottom

Lowercase b has a tall straight line with one bump on the right at the bottom:

b

To write lowercase b:

1. Draw a tall straight line going down
2. Go back to the bottom
3. Draw a bump curving out to the right

What Sound Does B Make?

Press your lips together and then pop them open: /b/! That is the B sound. Say it: /b/ — /b/ — /b/!

The B sound is a fun sound because you can feel your lips bump together. God made your lips to close and open quickly to make this sound.

B Is for Beginning

Listen to this verse: "In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). The word Beginning starts with B! This is the very first verse in the entire Bible. What a wonderful word to start with B!

More B words: Bee, Ball, Boat, Bear, Bible, Boy, Bread, Bird, Butterfly

Why do bees buzz? The buzzing sound comes from their wings beating over 200 times per second — God designed tiny muscles that move incredibly fast (Psalm 104:24). And "buzz" starts with the letter B!

Meet the Letter C

What Does C Look Like?

Uppercase C looks like a curve that is open on the right side — like the moon:

C

To write uppercase C:

1. Start at the top right
2. Curve around to the left, down, and to the right at the bottom

Lowercase c looks just like uppercase C, but smaller:

c

What Sound Does C Make?

The most common sound C makes is the hard /k/ sound, like in cat. Push the back of your tongue up and let the sound pop out: /k/!

Say it: /k/ — /k/ — /k/!

C Is for Creation

God Created the heavens and the earth! The word "Created" starts with C. Everything you see — the sky, the trees, the animals, the sun — God created it all.

More C words: Cat, Cup, Car, Cow, Cake, Cloud, Candle, Cross

Beginning Sounds

Now that you know A, B, and C, let us play a game! I will say a word, and you tell me which letter it starts with:

• Apple — starts with A (the /a/ sound)
• Ball — starts with B (the /b/ sound)
• Cat — starts with C (the /k/ sound)
• Ant — starts with A
• Bird — starts with B
• Cow — starts with C

When you hear a word, listen to the very FIRST sound. That first sound tells you which letter the word starts with. This skill is called hearing beginning sounds, and it is one of the most important steps to reading!

Handwriting Practice

Practice writing both letters today:

1. Trace uppercase B five times, then write it five times
2. Trace lowercase b five times, then write it five times
3. Trace uppercase C five times, then write it five times
4. Trace lowercase c five times, then write it five times

Remember the difference between b and d: The letter b has its bump on the RIGHT side. Think "b has a belly on the right!"

A Thought to Carry

The word "Beginning" starts with B, and the word "Created" starts with C. The very first verse of the Bible — "In the Beginning God Created" — uses both of our new letters. God's Word is full of wonderful letters and sounds, and you are learning to unlock them!