NAME PRACTICE
You might be surprised by how fast a child can learn to write their name. Even before teaching my children all the letters of the alphabet, I begin with having them write their name! Most children have a special connection with the first letter of their name. Teaching their letter first generally takes no effort. They are eager to learn it! The rest comes easy, since they are excited to see their name in writing! Each day, have their name written down for them to see. Either on a piece of paper, white board, chalkboard, or laminated card stock. Provide them with unlined paper or let them use a small whiteboard or chalkboard. Just be sure there are NO LINES. It is important for them to find confidence in writing their name, on their own, with no restrictions. Feel free to casually show them how to go from the top to the bottom. It is key to provide them with the opportunity to write their own name, each day. Just remember, it does not have to be perfect.
ABC’s
Beginning with the letter A, go over a “letter a week.” This, by far is my favorite part of teaching preschoolers. Keep it simple or be extravagant. Just have fun. I usually begin the week by introducing the letter the week by filling a basket of items that begin with that letter. I pull out the items and ask them to guess which letter we will be learning about. I then draw the Uppercase Letter on a board or sheet of paper and have them write it a few times. My general focus is to help them understand that “b” is the beginning sound for ball, or that “c” is the beginning sound of cat. This association takes time for children to grasp and is key for the skills needed in Kindergarten. The following is what I have discovered works well in our home. Feel free to adjust according to your needs.
1- WEEKLY CRAFT: Choose one inspiring craft for the week that you can display. If you have a designated space for your preschool, then having a wall set aside to display these crafts would be ideal. That way, at the end of the year, 26 crafts will be displayed representing each letter of the alphabet. If that is not possible, simply display them somewhere else such as your refrigerator or fireplace mantle. Simply change the craft on display each week. Utilize Pinterest or educational websites to find simple, themed crafts for the letter of the week. Be creative! Take toy cars dipped in paint to create car tracks for “c” week. Make borax crystalized snowflakes for “s” week. The possibilities are endless.
2- ACTIVITIES: For the days that you are not working on your craft for display, provide one or
two activities inspired by the letter of the week. For “p” week, we made Pink Peppermint Pop and Perfectly Popped Popcorn. For the letter “d,” we hung doughnuts from a tree and tried to eat them without using our hands! Activities can be as simple or complex as you like.
3- DAILY WORKSHEETS: I generally print out two worksheets per day. Both emphasize the
letter of the week. The first is usually a coloring page of something that begins with the letter of the week. The second is a handwriting sheet, helping the child practice writing the letter they are learning. This may seem time consuming but if you print out your sheets weekly, it doesn’t take too much prep work. Or, if printing is an issue, the Dollar Tree and other discount stores have preschool workbooks focusing on letter writing practice. These are a great inexpensive alternative.
