Your child's first name is very special to him and holds emotional appeal. This activity will give him practice finding the letters in his name. Those are the letters that he will most likely learn first.
- magnetic or foam letters (uppercase and lowercase)
- be sure that all the letters in your child’s name are available, especially if a letter appears more than once in his name (e.g., Alexander)
- 3x5 index cards
- markers
- paper
Preparation
Step 1: Assemble a set of magnetic or foam letters. Be sure that all the letters in your child’s name are available, especially if a letter appears more than once in his name (e.g., Alexander).
Step 2: Print all the letters in your child’s name onto individual index cards.
Step 3: Fold a piece of paper in thirds to create a name tent. Print your child’s name so that it faces your child when placed on the table. Use an uppercase letter for the first letter and lowercase letters for the rest. Print the letters so that they are approximately the same size as the magnetic or foam letters. Be sure they are not too close together.
Activity
Step 1: Give your child the magnetic or foam letters that match the letters in his name. Give him an uppercase letter for the first letter in his name and lowercase letters for the rest.
Step 2: Shuffle the index cards and call out one of the letters, identifying if they are uppercase or lowercase.
Step 3: Ask your child to find the magnetic or foam letter that you call out. Have him repeat the letter name and place it in front of the matching letter on his name tent.
Step 4: Continue with the remaining letters in his name.
Give your child a visual cue. As you call out letters, show him the index card and ask him to find the matching magnetic or foam letter. You might also call out the letters in order to simplify the task for your child.
After your child has mastered the letters in his first name, do the same activity using the name of a family member, friend or even a pet.
