As all elementary teachers know, names are powerful tools for literacy learning. With the help of Patricia Cunningham I invest several days at the beginning of the year to celebrate and investigate every name in the room. Check out those ideas here.
One year I figured out that I could do something more with those cut-up names than simply send them home.
I put the name into an envelope.
I tape the child's picture to the front so that it can flip up.
I write the child's name underneath the picture.
The envelopes become part of word work, and kids of all abilities love to put the names together and then check to see if they're right. Once the envelopes become less thrilling, I send them home.
Great idea for learning how to read each other's names! My kids would like those, too. They're really into puzzles this year.
ReplyDeleteBarb, and it's a great tool for hearing sounds in words, which they definitely need to work on as well.
DeleteI like the idea of building your friend's name too besides building your own. I know the kids would love that! Thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteLori
Conversations in Literacy
Lori, they definitely do enjoy making their friend's names. It's very motivating.
DeleteSimple, fun, and effective! I love how it builds your classroom community too.
ReplyDeleteCrystal
Crystal, it's great when all those things come together easily.
DeleteTammy,
ReplyDeleteI love this idea. My principal encourages all kindergarten and first-grade teachers to have a name chart posted and used during instruction time. It is a powerful teaching tool. I love this idea of taking it one step further and having students do word work with names. Melissa
Melissa, you've got a wise principal. I have a name wall in my room, and the kids use it often. There are just too many things to learn from those names that we must use them to their fullest potential.
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