It is very important to teach letter identification using children's names because a child's name holds a place of supreme importance.
Research tells us that teaching letters one at a time, one per week and/or in isolation is NOT an effective teaching method. However, using names to teach letters of the alphabet is a VERY powerful tool.
Names are so meaningful to children that they provide the spark to engage children in the identification of the letters in their own names first, and then the letters in the names of friends and family members.
A child who is eager, motivated, and feeling empowered about his/her own learning is going to learn more quickly and retain more than a child who is not.
We are now embarking on many activities involving names. For those children who are already able to name the letters in their names, they will branch off into learning the letters in friends' names and also become peer teachers during center time activities. Children learn a great deal from peer mentors.
We have also been honing our listening skills when we are saying words, especially our names, so we can hear how many word parts or syllables they have. Four-year-olds love clapping out the words parts in their names. You will begin to notice your child clapping out many words as they talk... this is a VERY good activity and one that can even be done while driving in the car:)
Here is a graph we made of all the names in our class:
We published our first eBook and you guessed it, it has to do with our NAMES!!
Open the link on an eReader device, NOT a computer! Enjoy!!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/m5non009j5yydby/What%27s%20My%20Letter.epub?dl=0
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