Mirror Literacy: Exploring Symmetry in Letters

We used a handheld mirror to explore symmetry in letters!  This activity was the perfect way to reflect on how letters are formed!

I started by writing each uppercase letter on a separate post-it note.  I used post-its because I created a chart for my preschooler to organize the letters as either symmetrical or not symmetrical.

We put each letter on the table then used the mirror to divide it in half (bringing in our last Light & Reflections lesson on fractions).  

For the first several letters I had to remind E to put the mirror in the middle, but soon she was trying this independently.  

If we could make the letter form with the mirror's reflection it was symmetrical (or "'metrical," as E said). 

Other letters were clearly not symmetrical but E enjoyed naming what else they looked like instead!  This was a mushroom (tilt your head to the left).

This Q became a clock to her!  I see more mirror exploration in our future soon because this was so much fun!

Here is her completed chart.  I am quite impressed (and a bit intimidated) by how neatly she lined up the post-its.  She even counted rows and columns as we discussed which category had more and less.

For older children, you could adapt this lesson by sorting by horizontal and vertical symmetry.  E was quite excited that the letter X was symmetrical both ways!  

This post is part of the Light & Reflections Series! You won't want to miss these literacy activities from my stunning co-hosts:

Helping Kids Learn Their Name with Personalized Suncatchers from Happily Ever Mom 

Light Table Letter Search: Letter Recognition with Water Beads from Where Imagination Grows

Alphabet Sorting on the Light Table from And Next Comes L