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Play to Learn

A delightful preschool experience

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.

Learn to Write your Name

Now it’s the end of the year and most of our students are able to identify each letter of their first names. Hooray! When they return to preschool in the fall, we will continue working on their names by making the shift toward writing them. Although our little ones are always working on fine motor activities and have lots of access to paper and writing utensils at center time, we don’t work extensively with them to write their names until Pre-K.

I wanted to make them something to help with the transition and to reinforce what they’ve been working on while they are home over the summer. These preschool name folders are just right!

I used manila file folders and put a picture of each student on the front. (I color coded them, too, because I am quirky like that!)

On the inside, there are 4 different ways for the children to practice their names. The first is to spell it. I typed the name in all caps (using this free KG Red Hands font) and put little dots under each letter. This is good practice for one-to-one matching.

The second line is the name again, but I traced over it with glitter hot glue. The students trace each letter with their finger. It’s a great tactile experience.

Now, I am sure that some people are going to argue with the fact that I have it written in all caps. I hear you. After working with preschoolers for 10 years, I firmly believe that this is the best way. Most of my 3-year-olds do not recognize any lower case letters. So I could get them to trace them, but there’s no recognition. In addition, they are still developing their fine motor muscles. The upper case letters are generally much easier to form. So, we start with upper case, then in the spring of Pre-K, we convert them to lower case. I promise! With few exceptions, our Pre-K students leave writing their names conventionally. It works because we start with all upper case. You can read more about our decision to use capitals with our younger kids HERE.

The third line is name building. I copied the letters again and glued them to a thin piece of colored foam. The students match the letters to build their names.

Finally, the bottom section has a strip of dry erase tape where they can practice writing their names. I included a dry erase marker (in a matching color!) with a little pom pom glued to the end. It’s a built-in eraser.

This is what the complete folder looks like:

This is the little baggie on the back that holds the letter pieces and the dry erase marker. I’m hoping that by having all the supplies neatly put together, the students will be able to practice easily.

[bctt tweet=”These editable name folders are a fun, hands-on way to practice children’s names!”]

Print your own Name Folders here:

The editable version of these Name Folders allows you the flexibility to type the names in upper or lower case. This is how I made them for our Pre-K students:

These Name Books are the perfect complement to our Name Folders. It just takes a minute to type in the class list and generate books for each child!

Name Books pin

Also try these EDITABLE NAME PRACTICE PAGES for your students who are learning how to write their names. You just type in your class list and print customized, differentiated name worksheets for each child. So quick and simple!

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You might also find these posts about ways that we practice our names to be helpful:

For even more name ideas, be sure to follow this Pinterest board:

Follow Play to Learn Preschool’s board Literacy: Name Games on Pinterest.

Affiliate links to the products we used, for your convenience:

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Shawna Z says

    I LOVE this! Please make one available on TPT! This would be a great tool for small groups! Thanks for so many great ideas.

  5. KAA says

    Please let us know if you get an editable version on TPT, I'd LOVE to buy one too! Thanks 🙂

  11. Beki Moore says

    I like this name folder and so glad that you are offering an edible version. I would prefer to have only one uppercase letter at the beginning. It is always such a hassle to retrain my Kinders when they learn their name in all caps. 🙂

  12. Kortney says

    Has anyone ever put hot glue (like the texture part here) through a laminator. Would like to laminate them for durability.

    • Jamie White, M.Ed. says

      Hi Anitra! When you're in Power Pint, go to Insert -> Shape, then choose the circles. I just added them under each letter. An easier way would be to use a marker and put dots under each one when they're printed. Enjoy!

  15. Kay Marie says

    Wow, this is SO cute. My kinders are 5/6 and need practice with their last names too. I wonder if there is a way to do first and last names with one folder, hmmmm

  17. Shana says

    Bought and downloaded the name folder and it locked up my computer. I keep trying to make it work but locks it down. I have windowsxp

  18. Trisha says

    I LOVE THIS!!! I will be making one for each student. And I think I agree with using upper case letters first. I have been teaching both to all my ages (3-5) because we see more lower case letters in what we read, they need to learn them anyway, etc. But it does seem to be more of a struggle with my 3-4’s. The lower case are more abstract looking and in writing. Thanks!

  19. LN says

    I LOVE THIS NAME FOLDER!!! AND THANKS for making it “editable”!!! Our district teaches D’Nealian, so we try to prepare our preschoolers to recognize and print using this font style. Do you have any suggestions for a good, free downloadable font? I’m new as this “font” thing – help!! Thank you!

  22. Monica says

    We tried glue with color sand, glitter glue and super glue and the letters keep falling off. ANy suggestions?

    • Jamie White, M.Ed. says

      Hi Monica!
      We used glitter hot glue, but I imagine any hot glue would work. Are you laminating the folders? We don’t laminate them, and the glue sticks really well.
      Jamie