Often, the first word in children's sight vocabularies is their own name. Activities that make use of children's names are a natural starting point for developing letter recognition. Such activities are especially appropriate for emerging learners in Pre-K and K classrooms.
Some children will be able to recognize their name immediately--others will need to be helped through talking to them about the features of their name.
When the name for the day starts with an initial consonant, you might want to focus on the appearance and sound of that letter throughout the day. Invite children to tell you and their classmates every time they see or hear another word that starts with that same letter or sound.
This signing in strategy is recommended in the literature on early literacy instruction as both a strong instructional practice which strengthens children's sense of themselves as writers and also a good assessment tool for teachers.
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"What's in a Name?"
Materials
- Name tags
- Set of photographs of individual children
- Chart paper and felt markers
- Chalkboard, individual chalkboards, and chalk
- Pencils and paper
- Scissors.
Procedures
All the activities described on pages 94-97 rely for their success on teachers' interspersing of short comments about the appearance and names for letters in the children's names throughout the activities. These comments need to be made without drawing out the activities for too long a period. Comments like the following are useful:
- "Brent's name starts the same as Brittany's. They both start with 'b'" (said while pointing to the B).
- On another occasion, you might draw their attention to "long names" and "short names" counting the letters in two contrasting examples through finger pointing to help children form a concept of "letter".
- Later in the year, you might print both children's first and last name on the name tags and draw attention to the concept of word. For example, "This word says Carmen and this word says Vermette."
- To help children discover the relationship between letters and sounds (the alphabetic principle), you should also include some comments about the sounds associated with letters in the children's names (for example, noting other names or words that start with the same initial consonant).
- Name tags. Make name tags for everyone in the class and use them for a variety of relevant purposes. For example:
- Taking attendance. There are many ways to use name tags for discovering and/or recording who is present each day.
- Large place tags to sit on. You can make a large (12 x 18 inch) place tag with a name printed on it for each child. Make these from Bristol board and laminate them for each child to use to mark the place where they will sit on the carpet for the initial morning activities (Morning Meeting, Shared Language, etc.). To make this practice effective for letter and word recognition, keep all place tags the same colour. Establish their use through a routine such as having all place tags in a pile on the carpet at the beginning of every morning and again in the afternoon. Teach children to look for their place tag as soon as they come in and to set it where they want to sit and then to sit on it. This practice of sitting on their place tags can also be a classroom management tool--one useful in teaching children to respect the personal space of others. These large place tags can be used to mark children's places at a table as well.
Variations: At the beginning of the year, choose one child each day to feature in a "Getting Acquainted" activity26. Show the children the place tag of the child chosen, and invite that child to come and sit beside you for the Morning Meeting time. Ask the child to tell a few things about her/himself--who is in her/his family, things s/he likes to do, favourite foods, a favourite book, etc. Write the child's name on the board and talk about the visual and aural features of her/his name. Invite all children to say the name and participate in other related activities such as, clapping the syllables, segmenting the name into onsets and rimes or phonemes, and thinking of other names that start the same or rhyme with that name.
- Name tags for attendance. Make name tags that can fit into a pocket chart or on other wall charts. Take attendance with name tags by holding them up one at a time and asking children to come and get their own when they see it, and to place it in/on the attendance chart. You could have a photograph of each child on your chart. Children would place their name tags under their photographs. Alternately, you can have cutouts shaped like children--one for each child, and an attendance chart with each child's name on it. As children come in each day, they can be given the cutouts to place above their name. A chart like this will also show at a glance those who are absent. Use the information about numbers present for times throughout the day when helpers are giving out snacks or other items--one per child.
- Name tags to "remember when". A separate chart could be displayed for children who were in the class but have moved away. Be sure to read it from time to time--perhaps as part of a "remember when" discussion. The message you are conveying with this practice is that all children are important and that you still value people who are no longer present.
- Name tags to fill a "Helper's Chart" each day. Be sure to ask children to read it and confirm who has jobs each day.
- Labeling possessions, lockers, and places at activity centers. Use name tags to mark children's individual lockers, coat hangers, etc. Change the assignment of these places from time to time so that the children need to keep looking and identifying their own names. Construct charts to be placed at each center in the classroom so that children working at that center can attach their name tags to it when they enter, and remove them again when they leave.
 As soon as most children recognize their own name and those of others, change your labeling strategies to ones where children write their own name on labels that you provide or on sign-up sheets at each center. Accept and appreciate approximations of printed names with young learners. Remember, you want to value their writing as a contribution to classroom organization or a step toward their independence.
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- Signing your name to important documents. Establish this practice early and provide many opportunities for children to sign their names. For example:
 "Signing In". Have an attendance sheet for each day--one that is stamped with the date but otherwise blank. Place it and a pencil in the same place each day, and teach children to "sign in" when they arrive. These attendance sheets will make interesting records of the consistencies and changes over time in the way children print their name. Later in the year, you might have children add one sentence to their name when they sign in, telling something about how they are feeling that day or an item of personal "news".
- Compose some of your notes to parents/guardians with the help of your class. You can recopy what the children suggest onto note-sized paper to be photocopied. Each child would sign her/his own copy to take home (using the name tag as a model, if necessary). Each note that goes home could come from you and from the children. Show children where you have signed your name and the spaces where they should print theirs.
- Develop group charts such as the classroom rules and have everyone sign them. Explain that each signature means that that child has agreed to do her/his best to follow the rules.
- Incorporate forms appropriate to each social dramatic play center (see page 120 for examples of these centers) for children to sign. For example, include forms for prescriptions at the doctor's office.
- Letter games using children's names. A variety of short games can be devised for use with small groups, pairs, or individuals. These can be incorporated into an ABC and Word Study Center as well (see page 107 for a description of this center). Examples of short name games or activities include:
- Follow my directions if your name has this letter in it. Say the name of a letter and write it on the chalkboard and ask students to follow your directions only if their name starts with the letter you write. For example, say and write an uppercase letter and then say, "Clap two times if your name starts with this letter". Alternate this with lowercase letters, writing the letter and saying its name followed by a direction like "Put one hand under your chin if your name ends with this letter." Or use at dismissal time, "Those whose name begins like this may get ready for home." Or, "If you have the letter 'e' anywhere in your name, you may get ready for snack."
- Name Bingo. Give each child a card with her/his name on it (initially just the first name, later include middle and last names) and a set of plastic chips. Tell the children, "I will call out the name of a letter and write it on the board. If your name has that letter in it, cover it with a plastic chip. When all the letters in your name are covered, hold up your hand and say 'Bingo'." Each time a round is finished, have children switch name cards so that they learn the letters in other children's names as well.
- Name Scramble. Give each child a card with her/his name printed on it and have students cut their name cards up into smaller cards, each one with a letter of their name on it. Ask students to scramble the letters on their desks and then put them back in order to spell their name. (Demonstrate this first.) Have students trade cards and see if they can unscramble a different name. Refer students to the attendance chart, or other chart with class names on it, if they need help. They could also ask the person whose name they have for one clue to get them started.
- Name Riddles. Make up riddles using children's names. For example, I am thinking about a boy who has two o's in his name. Encourage the children to make up name riddles as well.
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