Preschoolers love sensory play because it meets their sensory cravings and provides a stress-free way to play. They also love to do simple wooden puzzles. We combined these two favorites to make an alphabet sensory play center. We filled a sensory bin with dry alphabet noodles. They are available at many grocery stores in the pasta aisle….
Literacy
How Children Learn their Names
Learning our names is the springboard for literacy learning in preschool! Children’s names are the most important words to them, and learning them leads to all other types of learning. When we talk about teaching children their names, it is important to consider these three stages. Recognization The first stage of learning names occurs when…
Should Children Write their Names with Capital Letters?
When I created our Name Folders, one of the many ways that we teach children to recognize, spell and write their names, I did not anticipate such a stir about the fact that our younger students write their names with capital letters. People ask, “Why are you teaching in all capitals?” and comment, “Nice idea,…
Name Folders
One of our first important literacy goals in preschool is to be able to recognize and spell our first names. Younger preschoolers (3-year-olds) practice spelling their names every day at school. We use a different name game each month. Now it’s the end of the year and most of our students are able to identify…
The Importance of Pretend Writing
Do your young children scribble or pretend to write? Good! That’s a terrific sign that they are on the road to becoming readers and writers. When young children scribble, they demonstrate how much they know about print. They are practicing important fine motor skills and strengthening their hand muscles. Learning to write is a developmental…
Salt Tray Writing Practice
It is so important that our preschoolers practice writing with lots of different materials and utensils. They found these salt trays to be irresistible. To set up the center, we placed a set of alphabet flash cards (as a model) next to shallow trays of salt. The students could choose to use a paint brush…
Road Tape
Our transportation unit this month is a big hit! All of the students seem to love it, and practically every center in the classroom has taken on a transportation theme. One of their favorite new additions is Road Tape. We made a big road around our hardwood floor area. The students added street signs and wooden…
Spelling our Names
Recently we posted some of the ways that we help our preschool students practice writing their names. Writing is not the only thing we do with names, though! Another important activity is learning to spell our names. We sing lots of songs and rhymes with our names, and these are 10 of our favorite ways to…
Using Pocket Charts to Develop C.O.W.
Yesterday, I showed you how I run our Pre-K “Book Club” enrichment groups. Today, I want to share another great way to practice Concept of Word: Pocket Charts Using a pocket chart or felt board offers children additional time and space to practice tracking print. We have a pocket chart set up as a center each…
Developing Concept of Word
Concept of Word is the number 1 goal of emergent readers. It is the watershed event in the life of young children that must take place before they can begin to read. So, what is it??! Concept of Word is quite simply the understanding that a word is a group of letters surrounded by white space on either…