Using the Child's Name as the Foundation Early Literacy

Time to update an earlier RoundUP of ideas!

As an author-illustrator making school visits, one of my favorite things to do is to document the excellence that I see on my travels. I take the photos showcased here on my blog during these on-site visits. I review them over time to create these amazing RoundUPs. 

Today I've added some new and additional images to an earlier collection of activities that are based on the names of the children in your classroom. Some are Fine Motor experiences and others are part of the Arts program of self expression. 

I hope that they add to the ease of your new school year.

There is nothing quite so motivational for early readers -- as a 'class book' with photos of all of the new friends in the room. This next image shows an ACTION packed book! The Texas teacher told me that it was the favorite 'class book' of their collection. Her students read and reread it daily! 

"NAME" RoundUP! Names, nAmEs and more NAMES! 

I saw these delightful photos on a bulletin board recently on one of my school visits as Author-Illustrator. Each child was photographed holding a magnet board with their name spelled out in magnetized letters. Then these personalized photos became the 'spot' to denote the student's work on display in the hallway. 

Seeing these clever name 'spots' made me think of the quote, "The bridge to reading is through the child's name." {Sure wish I knew who said it!} How exciting it is to be able to recognize and manipulate all of the letters in your name! R-E-A-D-I-N-G! It seemed like a good topic for a RoundUP! So I've been culling through to find lots of fun with NAMES! 

Let's take a look at some more photo-faces. These firefighters have their names written on their helmets. 

While I've taken a detour onto life size photo-faces, allow me one tangent, to insert these cuties. 

Now let's take a look at all the fun that can be had with names. 

NAMES-on-FRAMES! 

More personalization! 

NAMES-on-SYMBOLS

NAMES-on-MAGNETS

NAMES-as-PROJECTS

Names-as-Acrostics!

NAMES-on-WORD WALLS

NAMES-on-ANCHOR CHARTS

NAMES-in-GLITTER

NAMES-as-SIGNATURES in Self Portraits

END OF YEAR SIGNATURE KEEPSAKE

NAMES-to-sort-VOWELS/CONSONANTS

'

NAMES-to-IDENTIFY

NAMES-on-the-JOB CHART

NAMES written to create a 'class book.' 

NAMES-as-part-of-the-CLASS QUILT

HERE are seven ways to use names to 'sign in.'

***Borrowed from my 'Organizational RoundUP' here are some NAMES-as-LABELS.

NAMES-make-a-BULLETIN BOARD

NAMES-as-ART

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