Name Activities: Discriminating and Constructing Letters

Super Fun methods to teach letter identification and essential pre-writing and name writing skills.
15 Community building projects are great for beginning of the year in a preschool or Kindergarten room to help children learn the names of their classmates.
Pizzas and Pencils make learning to write FUN!

Why Teach Capitals First: An unfortunate myth is that young children, 3 & 4 years old, should learn to write their name with capital and lowercase rather than capitals, and research shows that to be incorrect for several reasons. First off, capital letters are made with just lines and curves so they are developmentally simpler, therefore children will have more success early on. Secondly, when children are expected to form lowercase letters before they are ready to follow the complex movement patterns they form life-long illegible motor habits. Thirdly, research also shows that quality explicit instruction of lowercase when children are ready, typically in the 5th year, results in children naturally switching to lowercase use. Moving through a developmental sequence is healthy and supports later development.

I Can Make My Name Includes:
Six Collaborative and student made books.
Tasks for community building and learning the names of classmates.
Posters for explicit instruction.
Letter & number card models, sorting mats.
Whole group, small group, partner, and individual tasks.
Understanding of lines and curves used to build letter identification and handwriting skills.
Easy straight line cutting and gluing to build names.
Teacher’s guide to assist with sequencing tasks and making the most of all 15 activities – See Preview.
Progress monitor tool for fine motor and handwriting skills.

15 Center DIRECTIONS: Detailed lesson plans are illustrated in the Preview.

Printing: All documents are presented with a minimal amount of color and are very effective if printed in black and white. See Preview, page nine.

Editable Documents: PowerPoint is needed to open the editable file. You will need to use a handwriting font that best meets your needs. Recommended fonts that you may want to consider and that are free for personal use are referenced.

We start name writing experiences with capitals first, because preschool aged children already understands lines and curves, Pencils are lines, and Pizzas are curves. Even 4-year-olds are ready to learn critical rules for lifelong legibility such as starting and the top, by touching the Go-dots and to go in the correct direction by following the arrow. If you are concerned about children switching to lowercase as they get older, rest easy. If children receive good explicit instruction for lowercase formations when they are developmentally ready, they naturally switch to use of more grown-up printing.

Great for Preschool, early Kindergarten, RTI, Occupational Therapy, and Special Education.

Pizzas and Pencils Name Activities can be purchased at a discount in the Preschool Writing Readiness and Handwriting MegaBundle.

Please contact info@printPath.org if for any reason you are disappointed with this product! Free products for edits and corrections is our policy.