Ideas & Activities for Enhancing

Ideas & Activities for Enhancing Pre-Literacy Instruction Presented By: Annie Schone March 2017 Table of Contents: Page 1 The Importance of The Importance of Movement Movement Research has shown the positive effects of integrating movement in the classroom (Adams-Blair and Oliver, 2011; Kibbe, 2011; Martin and Pages 2-3 Using iPad Applications Murtagh, 2017; Reed et al., 2010; Reilly, Buskist, and Gross, 2012). This has included increased academic scores, better student engagement (including fewer disruptive behaviors), and lowered rates of obesity. It comes at no surprise that children need movement. The time allotted for pre-literacy Pages 4-6 Activities instruction offers a natural fit for the incorporation of movement in the classroom. This movement can be incorporated during a game (running, dancing, jumping, etc.) or through the use of transitions. By changing locations in the classroom, children have the opportunity to get up and Page 7 References move. Some activities may be completed at the table yet others on the floor, at the whiteboard, using the magnetic surface of the desk, sitting in chairs by the window, or even going outside. This incorporation of movement helps children better engage and thus be able to attend better to the information being taught. Page 1 Using FREE iPad Applications To Enhance Pre-Literacy Development Note: These games can serve as motivators or as a way to break up your activities. They also may serve as a way for families to practices skills at home in a fun and relaxed manner. The names of the applications are listed in italics with the specific game/activity within the application listed directly below that. Identifying Letter Names and Sounds • Barnyard Games For Kids o Alphabet Bounce § Pop bubbles with letters in the order of the alphabet § Have child give the letter name (could also have them give sound) as they pop • Toddler – Preschool Workbooks and Games for Kindergarten o ABC Letters § Receptive practice of letter names (with a smaller set) • Alphabet Games – Letter Recognition and Identification o ABC Names § Receptive practice of letter names (with a larger set) • Laugh and Learn Learning Letters Monkey App o ABC § Swipe through ABC cards to practice letter names and sounds • ABC Magic Phonics 3 – Letter Sound Matching o Sound Matching § Receptive practice of letter sounds o Alphabet § Child gives letter name/sound and then clicks on the letter to hear the sound • Connect the Dots o ABC § Child practices letter names in order of the alphabet while connecting the dots to create a picture • Robot Bingo o Letter Sounds § Receptive practice of letter sounds through a bingo game § One or two player option • ABC Games o ABC Book § Use to have children practice letter names/sounds o ABC Touch § Receptive practice of letter names o ABC Match § Receptive practice of letter names o ABC Memory § Use to have children practice letter names or sounds 2 iPad Applications Continued… Matching Capital to Lowercase • Tracing ABC Writing Alphabet o Letter Game § Draw lines to match capital and lowercase letters in sets of three • Little Matchups ABC Alphabet o Go to settings and change so that “ABC Letter Names” is the only option marked “on” o Child drags lowercase letter to match to the capital o Starts with small set of two and increases with child success Sight Word Practice • Sight Words List – Learn to Read Flash Cards and Games o Customizable o Allows you to make folders for individual children o Children can swipe through cards • Sight Words by Little Speller o Customizable o Practice matching letter to letter to spell sight words CVC Blending • Little Reader 3 Letter Words Free o Choose which short vowels to target o Child reads word and matches to picture Identifying Initial and Final Sounds • Robot Bingo o Beginning Sounds/Ending Sounds § Practice finding pictures that begin or end with a sound through a bingo game § One and two player options • ABC Magic Phonics 2 o Sound Matching § Match pictures with letter sounds Writing • ABC Tracing o Children can practice tracing capital and lowercase letters using their fingers • ABC Games o Children can practice tracing capital letters using their fingers • Alphabet Games – Letter Recognition and Identification o Gives letter sounds as children practice tracing capital letters using their fingers • Tracing ABC Writing Alphabet o Uppercase § Follow number cues to trace capital letters in the order of the alphabet o Lowercase § Follow number cues to trace lowercase letters in the order of the alphabet o Exercise § Practicing tracing capital and lowercase letters without number cues • Alphabet Tracing Free o Select easel § Child can choose a color and practice writing on a blank slate 3 123 Activities Below are some suggestions for activities to use when targeting specific areas of pre-literacy development • Put letters on plastic with a toy car spoons and scoop up the • Musical walk- when the Matching Letters matching magnetic letter music stops turn over a (Letter to Letter or Capital to • Put letters on cars and have picture Lowercase) child park cars in the • Have children make a book appropriate space in a • Match magnets (on a that is unique to them with parking lot cookie sheet or the side of places they go and items a magnetic desk) • Match mega blocks with they use letters • Print pictures to match Identifying Letter Names from websites like Teachers • Match paper “cupcakes” to and Sounds Expressively Pay Teachers or Pinterest the appropriate cupcake (These activities can also be liners • Write letters on the dry used for naming objects that erase board and have child • Match plastic egg halves begin with that letter.) match magnets to the • Have child draw a letter • Use gel cling letters (dollar written letters from a bag and run to find bin at Target) to play a • Use magnets as “cookies” the matching paper plate game and have child use a Identifying Names of • Scavenger hunt for letters spatula to move the Peers around the room “cookie” from the cookie sheet to a plate with the • Match pictures to index • Toss a bean bag, koosh letter cards with names ball, or ball at a letter on the floor or wall • Put letters on the wall and • Cover picture while child have child stick Post-it guesses name and then • Make a letter zip line notes up to match with uncover to reveal if they (attach letters to paper each letter were correct clips) • Lay letters out in two • Put names on clothespins • Use music- musical walk, columns and have child and have child clip the pass the bag of letters, match by laying yarn out matching picture up on a dance and stop on a letter to connect clothesline • Make a game board (either • Have cards with letters • Make a “lift the flap” book a giant board around the scattered and have child room using construction • Practice names receptively clip corresponding paper or a tabletop game by throwing a ball, using a clothespins on each card board) flyswatter/pointer, etc. • Put letters on ping pong • Find playdough letters- Environmental Print balls and have child toss in give letter name/sound cups • Spread logos out in the and smash room and “drive places” 4 465 Activities Continued… game • Put letters on a dice to roll • Hit the letter with a fly swatter or point to the Identifying • Pull a letter puzzle piece letter with a pointer Initial/Medial/Final Sounds out of a bag and find where it goes • Throw a ball, bean bag, or • Use music- musical walk, koosh ball musical chairs, dance and • Find letters hidden in corn, stop on a picture, dance sand, dirt, shaving cream, • Play bingo and stop next to an item in etc. • Squirt with water using a the room • Fish for letters squirt bottle • Find hidden pictures- • Flip plates (with letters • Find and place a sticker on around the room, in sand, written on them) over with the letter under cups, etc. a spatula or fly swatter • Find and erase on the • Pick a sticker, identify • Find letters using a whiteboard sound, and put on a picture flashlight in the dark • Use movement- run, jump, • Card game (print from • Use alphabet books walk, dance, skip, etc. to Teachers Pay Teachers or the letter Pinterest) “I have a ____. It • Play a letter memory game starts with ____. Who has • Shine a light on the letter • Draw a letter on a food ___?” item and feed it to an • Find and mark with a • Pick a cookie cutter, animal bingo dauber identify sound, cut • Play a blackout game • Drive a vehicle to the letter playdough covering letters with • Find the letter on materials Blending Sounds stickers, shaving cream, around the room etc. • Use foam letter pieces as Grouping Objects by stamps • Use food with letters Initial Sound (alphabet soup, alphabet • Use magnets on a cookie cereal, Cheeze-It Scrabble • Use a variety of objects- sheet, whiteboard, or metal Junior crackers, etc.) magazine pictures, picture desk cards, physical objects, • Write letters on newspaper • Use a dry erase board stickers squares- let child wad and • Roll and read games toss in trash • Use play shopping carts (printable from Teachers and plastic food items to • Find Post-it notes around Pay Teachers or Pinterest) short the room • Read and find the • Find stuffed • Play Go Fish with letters matching picture animals/beanie babies and • Use a board game such as sort • Write letters on colored the Dr. Seuss ABC game circle stickers- put stickers • Put small items into the together and blend Identifying Letter Names and appropriate plastic egg Sounds Receptively • Use letters on mega blocks • Use a mystery bag and sort • Write letters on the bottom items into boxes, bags, etc.

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