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Matching letters (or anything) is a beginning skill. And while it isn’t the end of letter learning, it is a beginning skill. It’s also a great starting place for independent work systems. And it’s one that can be implemented with lots of different materials to keep students engaged. Plastic eggs are just one example. And there are lots of things that you can match with them. In this post I’ve got a video tutorial and directions on how to set up matching tasks, with letters as an example, with eggs and egg cartons.

Matching Letters, Numbers, or Colors with Eggs: Who is it For?

I typically use these matching letters tasks for younger students because that’s who usually interact with the eggs. You could use them with older students, but you would have to decide if they were age respectful for those students based on your knowledge of them. One of the things I like about these tasks is that they are hands-on and don’t use paper. Which for our younger students is a big selling point. Also, they get put into the egg carton and it closes at the end. So it meets the characteristics of a good work task that stays completed when put in the finished basket.

Plastic Egg Put-In Task Video

Tips for Matching Letter Tasks

When setting up the egg cartons, clearly if you use a typical egg carton, you won’t fit all the letters. So instead, choose the letters you want. In the picture below, you’ll see the carton with the yellow letters. Those are super sticky notes cut into little squares. They will stick for one or two rounds with the task. And it makes them easy to switch them around. And you can change the letters. This is perfect for students who memorize where the letters are.

If your student can only match a few letters, cut the egg carton in half and only have them match 6 eggs. Want a harder task? Use a 24-egg carton. Just make sure you have the same number of eggs as places in the carton (or at least as letters in the carton to match). You don’t want the students to be confused by having empty spots.

Expanding Matching with Plastic Eggs

The great thing about the eggs and egg cartons are that you can use them to match letters, numbers, colors and even words if you can fit them. You can have them match the color of the egg to a color drawn in the bottom of the egg carton. You may need to paste the color in (or use a colored sticky note) if you are using a styrofoam egg carton. The recycled paper, like the one above, works best to do it with marker.

You can also bump them up by having students put a slip of paper with a matching letter in the egg with the same letter in the egg and then put it in the carton in the right space. Or you could do the same with numbers or colors as well.

Another option is to put a letter on the bottom half of the letter and the top half and have them match those and then match to the egg carton. Again, you can do that with other things they match as well.

So there are lots of ways that you use these plastic eggs to work on basic matching skills. Need more ideas for independent work inspiration? Check out the resources below.