Name Recognition -- Preschool & Kindergarten
Name Recognition
Welcome Sign
Make a welcome sign for your classroom ( Welcome to Kindergarten--grade or room number). Print the childrens names all around the welcome sign.
Find Your Name
Need: Hanging Pocket Chart, cardboard (the size of paint color sample cards), camera.
Take a picture of each child. Print the child's name at the bottom of the picture. Print the child's name on the cardboard strip.
Before the children arrive place their name cards on the area rug. Place their pictures on the outside rows of a pocket chart.
When the children arrive they find their name card on the area rug and place it next to their picture in the pocket chart. The name cards left on the rug are the children who are absent. If you also use name tags place a table by the pocket chart and after the children place their name cards in the pocket chart they find their name tags on the table.
Store the pictures and name cards in the top slots of the pocket chart.
Flower Names
Use this activity with 3 year olds and 4 year olds to practice name recognition. Get paint stirrer sticks from the hardware store (can ask for a donation).
Paint the paint stirrers green. Then make a flower head for each child with their name on it (1st name for 3's and first and last for 4's). Laminate the flower heads.
Hot glue the heads to the green paint stirrer sticks to make a flower. Then get a plastic flower pot (medium sized) and fill it 2/3 full of rice. When the children come to school in the morning they find their flower and "plant" it in the flower pot. The children love this
Name Star
Name headbands. Print children's name on the star. Have children cut along dotted lines. Give children strips of construction paper to decorate. Measure child's head with construction paper strip and mark front center. Glue cut-out star to construction paper strip. Tape or staple together to make a headband.
Star in box (pdf-right click to save)
Hidden Name Need: White crayon, white paper, water paints, paint brush
On the back of white paper print in small letters the child's name (so you will know who to give each paper to). On the front of white paper print the child's name with a white crayon. Give the children the papers and water paints. Tell the children to tell you when they have found something.
Spelling Names
Letters In Your Name
Write the child's name in big letters across a sheet of construction paper. Start with a capital letter than lowercase letters. Laminate. Lay the name strips on the floor around the room. The children find their name. Give the children small animals, uniflex blocks, or cubes to cover the letters in their name.
Colored Salt Names and Initials
Need: salt, food coloring, paper, paint brushes.
Place salt in a zip-locking bags (about one cup) add food coloring. Close bag. Have children vigorously shake the bag until all the salt is colored. Open the bag and spread the salt onto paper towels to dry.
Have children write their names or their initials using large paint brush with slightly deluded white glue on paper. Immediately, have them sprinkle on the colored salt. Let dry, then shake off the excess salt
Learning Names
Hand & Foot Book
To reinforce reading each other's names make a hand and foot book. Paint 1 child's hands (or foot) and make a print. After it has dried, put This is ________'s hand (foot). Then bound them together. Then the children get them and compare hand size and names. They even take the book to the attendance chart that has pictures and names to see whose name is whose. Later they even use the hand and foot book to copy names and letters. They always remind me to print the new children in class so they can be a part of their favorite book.
Name Table
Take a photograph of each child in the group and place them, along with the child's first name onto the writing/drawing table. Cover each name and photo with clear contact paper so they don't get in the way of the children working, and suddenly I have many children who are interested in not only writing their own name but forming letters and learning other children's names.
If you are unable to get the children's photos just print the names on construction paper and place on the table. Cover with contact paper. Later in the year change by adding the child's first and last name to the table.
Video
Recommended Book
Your Name Is A Song
by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and Luisa Uribe
A picture book about the beauty of everyone's name. A young black child is upset waiting in the schoolyard. When Momma arrives she asks about her first day of school. The young girl is upset because no one could pronounce her name, not even her teacher. Momma teachers her a beautiful and empowering lesson. Her name is so beautiful and unique that it can be sung to a song, just like all other names.
Your Name Is A Song Video
