Thank you to Cheryl for sharing this unit with me. Please sign my guestbook.
dlayton@mo-net.com

Names:


NAME--FIRST, MIDDLE, LAST

ART AREA

Make name mobiles. Draw a circle, square, triangle, and rectangle on heavy
paper for each child. Invite the children to cut out the shapes and then
punch a hole at the top and bottom. Have the children write "My" on both
sides of the circle with a black crayon or marker. Have the children
write, "name" on the rectangle, "is" on the triangle, and the child's own name on
the square. (you might have to do the writing for less experienced children).
Show the children how to straighten out four paper clips to make an S
shape. Then, help the children use the paper clips to hook the shapes together.
Use yarn to hang each mobile.

Name plaques: Print on a piece of construction paper the child's name. Then
have the children trace their name with glue and have them place fruit loops, seeds,
glitter, or beans on the glue.

Placecards or Placemats: Make reusable place cards by folding an index card
in half so it will stand up like a tent, and printing the child's name on one
side. Add stickers or decorate with markers. Laminate for durability. Have
your table helpers place the cards at the appropriate spots, or randomly if
you do not have special or assigned spots for meals and snacks, at the
table before each meal. A variation would be to print the child's name on a large
piece of construction paper, decorate, and laminate for a placemat.

NAME LICENSE PLATES:
Uses fine motor skills and teaches how to spell their name.
Materials:
License plate outlines (works best on 8 1/2 x 14" paper)
3x5 cards
glue
crayons
What to do:
1. Write an upper case letter of the alphabet on each of the 3x5
cards. Make sure you have enough letters to spell out the names of each
child in your class. Outline the letters thickly with glue and let them dry
thoroughly.
2. Have each child find the letters of their name on the 3x5
cards. Ask them to line these up to spell their name.
3. Have the child lay the license plate outline sheet over the
letters.
4. Using the side of the crayon, have the child rub over the
letters to "print" the letters of their name on the license plate.

ARTISTIC NAMES-
Trace each child's name onto a strip of art paper, in block letters.
Have each child decorate the letters in his name using a variety of art
mediums such as paint, crayons, and markers. Invite the children to help
arrange the decorated name strips on a welcome - board display.

BLOCK AREA
I am trying to locate alphabet blocks that are in upper and lower case. So
far all I can find is upper case. Let me know if you find anything else. :o)

DRAMATIC PLAY
Check Out Name Cards: Make a sturdy name card for each child and laminate
for durability. Have the children use these cards to tag their chosen
activities. Set a limit on the number of children for each activity and a time limit
for rotation. Let the children chose their activities and hang their name cards
on a small hook by the activity area. For instance, the book reading area
might most comfortably accommodate three readers.
Make a small sign, "Reading Area (3)" and post it on the wall beside the
bookcase or table you have made available for that activity.
Place a hook, or even better, three small hooks to allow three name cards
to be hung by the first three children who would like to read.

Introductions: Have children line up on one side of a doorway; the provider
standing on the opposite side. The first child knocks and the provider
asks, "Who is it?" The child can give his/her first name (later, both his first
and last names). The first child comes to stand with the provider. The next
child knocks and the provider repeats, "Who is it?" The child gives his/her
name(s) and the provider invites him/her in. The provider then introduces the
second child to the first child, using both the first and last names. Then she has
the next child knock, inquires who it is, the child answers and is invited in.
The provider now introduces the third child to both of the others, using
all of their names. Continue until all of the children have been invited in and
introduced.

MILK CARTON MAILBOXES
To provide each child w/ a personalized mailbox, collect a paper
milk carton for each child in your class. Wash the cartons; then cut off the tops. Cover
each carton with colored paper. to make a connected row of mailboxes,
staple or glue the cartons together. Stand the row upright and write a different name and different
numeral on each box. Glue a photo of each youngster to her box. To
reinforce name and numeral recognition, write each child's name and numeral
on several envelopes. Encourage children to hand-deliver the numbered
envelopes to the correct milk-carton mailbox addresses

THIS LETTER
Collect an envelope for each of your children. Write a child's name on
each envelope. Put the envelopes into a box. Select a child to be the letter
carrier. Have the child choose an envelope from the box. Read the name
out loud. Have the letter carrier deliver the envelope to that child while you
sing the song below, substituting the name on the envelope for Rhiannon.
At the end of the song, have that child be the next letter carrier to choose
an envelope from the box and deliver it.
sung to :"Did You Ever See a Lassie?"

This letter's for Rhiannon,
For Rhiannon, for Rhiannon.
This letter's for Rhiannon,
Please stand up right now

MATH & MANIPULATIVES
Even if you don't have "cubbies", make cubby tags and put them on the wall
or coat rack. I also make "name cards". I take a 3x5 index card, print their
name clearly, and have it laminated. Whenever they want to "write" their
names, give them the cards. They will try to copy it. Have crayons,
pencils, markers, pens, etc....available at all times for them to practice.

Make name puzzles to help children who have difficulty sequencing the
letters of their name. Cut out several 1-inch squares of colored construction paper. Write
each letter of the child's name on a separate square and then glue the letters in sequence
on a quarter sheet of construction paper. Write each child's name again on separate
squares and store these squares loosely in a library pocket glued to the back of the name
puzzle. Make a name puzzle for each child. Instruct the children to match and line up
each loose letter aloud as they match the letters in order from left to right. Name puzzles
may be made for last names once the first names are memorized. (It is important for
children to visualize the order of the letters in their names when they are learning to print
their names.)
Remove the name puzzle models when the children are ready and give them
only the individual letter pieces to sequence in order.

Variation: Print the child's first name on a piece of firm paper, such as
tagboard (or the back of a cereal box panel you have cut out). Cut the name into simple
squiggles and zigzag lines between the letters. Store in envelopes, labeled with the
child's name.

Start by teaching the children to write each letter of their names,
learning one letter at a time, practicing on newsprint. After the letters have been mastered, move
to newsprint folded in half and then into fourths. When the children feel comfortable
writing their names on the newsprint divided into fourths, move to large lined paper.
After the children have had experiences visualizing the left-to-right letter
sequence, help them work on correct letter formation and left-to-right sequencing (you might
use dots or have the children trace over your letters at first). Monitor the children
closely to make sure they are forming the letters correctly.

BOOK AREA
Picture album or Picture Poster: Take individual pictures of each child and
mount in a picture album or on a large posterboard. Print each child's name just below
his/her picture. The children love to look at the poster or browse through the
picture album to find photos of themselves and their friends.

The Boy Who Would Not Say His Name by Margaret Hillert, Modern Curriculum
Press, 1989.

SCIENCE
Allow the children to spell out their own names using as many different
media as you have access to. Rubber stamps, chalk on chalkboards, writing in salt or
sand on cookie sheets, finger paint, etc.

LANGUAGE
A couple of things to do all year round. Always let the children "write"
their own name on projects. Even my babies do it. I just take a pencil, place it in
their fingers and say the letters out loud as I write, covering their fingers with my own. By
the time they are two, most will be saying the letters along with you.

Send home a letter asking parent's reason for giving each child his or her
name. Discuss how each name is special.

Start an "all-about-me" book with the first page being the child's first
attempts at printing his or her own name. The last page can be the child's later attempt at the
same.

Add Children's Names to Stories and Songs: Once the children are familiar
with some basic songs and classic stories, add a little variation by telling the
stories or singing the songs with the children's names added occasionally for
surprise. They love silliness and variation! For instance, "Once upon a
time, deep in the forest, lived three bears and their good friend, *George*.... A
little while later, Goldilocks and her friends, *Kathleen,**Maggie,* and
*Nick* decided to go for a walk in the woods and came upon the little
house..."

Attendance names: Write out each child's first (or first and last name) on
a heavy card. Laminate for durability. Make two sets of pockets on a chart that can be
posted on a wall at child level. Label one set of pockets *IN* and the other *OUT*. Let each
child find his/her own name (it will be in the *OUT* pockets) upon arrival and move it
to the *IN* side. Just before departure, have the children find their names and move
them back to the *OUT* side. During the course of the year, the children will learn to
recognize their friends names and be able to tell who is absent from the cards left in the
*OUT* pockets.

TRANSITIONS
A BEAN BAG GAME OF NAMES
Bean Bag, Bean Bag goes to you.
This is what you need to do....
Say your name so we can hear.
Everybody give a cheer!
Hooray!!

Now your turn is at an end.
Pass the bean bag to a friend.

After the children spell out their own name, let them move on to the next
activity.

As the children get better at saying their names, change the word "say" to
"shout" or
"whisper" or even "spell". Even my 2's love this one.

PICK AN APPLE TO LEARN YOUR NAME- Post a tree on a bulletin board or wall,
and write each child's name on an apple. Call a child's name, and have
them
pick his
name apple off the tree and put it into a basket. Can be used for all
surnames, numbers,
letters etc.

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT
SONGS AND FINGERPLAYS
BINGO
Sing the song "Bingo" using the letters of a child's name.

There was a boy who had a name
And Ethan was his name-o
E*t*h*a*n, E*t*h*a*n, E*t*h*a*n
And Ethan was his name-o

As the child gets better at remembering the letters in his name, try the
clapping part.

THE NAME GAME- Explain to the children that they should be proud of
their names, and that you are going to give them many opportunities to celebrate
their names.
Have each child say his/her name in the following ways:
1. cheer it
2. say while giggling
3. while wiggling
4. growl their name
5. howl their name
6. very slowly and stretch it out
7. chant it 5 times
8. pant their name
9. sing their name
10. clap their name
11. snap their name
12. Last, have each child yell out their name.
More to do: Children can do all these things together or one at a
time. Each child may come up to the front and sing their name. Then the rest of the
children will echo the way she sang it. They may dance out their name also.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME?
Sung to; "Hush, Little Baby"

What is your name? I'd like to know.

What is your name? I'd like to know.

Please won't you tell me before I go?

What is your name? I'd like to know.

Find a CD with the song, "The Name Game" on it from the 60's. You know,
"Megan, Megan, Bo-Began, Banana, Fana, Fo-Fagen, Me, My, Mo-Megan, It's Megan!" I
got mine at the "Old Navy" store in Minneapolis. The kid's love this CD also.

Have your children stand or sit in a circle. Bounce or roll a ball to a
child and say the first verse of the following rhyme. When the child catches, the ball, have
him bounce or roll the ball back to you while you help him respond with the
second verse. Continue playing until everyone has a chance to say his
name.

Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy,
Will you play my game?
Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy
What is your name?

Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy
I'll play your game.
Bouncy, bouncy, bouncy,
__________is my name.

OUTDOOR AREA
Write each child's name with sidewalk chalk. Then, play the "Stepping Out
on the Town" game. It is on the Hap Palmer tape or CD entitled, "Can a Cherry Pie
Wave Goodbye?" (this would be a good tape to get, as it is a favorite of mine
and you will hear reference to it again and again.)

SNACKS
Have the children form their letters out of pretzel or cookie dough, bake
and eat at snack time. I love this because they get to use all of their senses as part of
the activity.

Make cupcakes, or iced cookies and have the children spell out their names
in alphabet cereal on top.

Here is a snack idea that the preschoolers love.
I use the breadsticks that come in a can (Pillsbury ?) uncooked and we
shape them into the first letter of each child's name.
Bake them and they love them.

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