If you're not familiar with the concept of Active Learning Journals, check out all the ideas we've shared here.
It’s been a while since we’ve shared a round-up of active learning journal pages. My oldest charge will turn 4 in a few weeks. She has suddenly moved from that toddler stage to the preschool stage. She’s suddenly interested in the letters in her name and finding those letters in all the books we read. I love being able to foster this time in her early childhood! All these activities were created in our Active Learning Journal but they can easily be reproduced on their own!
All these ideas can be used in a preschool classroom setting. I loved setting up name activities in my writing center during the first few months of school because nothing is more motivating for kids than learning new friends names!
For these pages you’ll need a few things that you probably already have around the house.
- Alphabet Stickers
- Alphabet Magnets
- Alphabet Stamps
- Alphabet Erasers (I found mine at Target)
- Post-it Notes
- Dot Stickers
- Mini Wooden Cubes (I found mine at the dollar store in a pack of 36)
Optional items
- Magna Tiles
- Rice Bin
- Magnet Wands or Large Magnet
*Remember I censor my charge’s names for their privacy.*
This pages if full of many different elements and can be adapted to your child’s needs. The top row has E’s name. Below I will give her a few different types of tools to build her name on her own. I’m using small wooden cubes, erasers and stickers. After she’s built her name a few times I’ll have her use the stickers to complete the page. I pulled a few sets of stickers in her name letters. If I feel she’s ready, I’ll have her try to write her name in the bottom row.
This page is similar to the last and uses the same tools. E will have to find and cover the letters in her name after pulling them out from a basket. Her brother’s name is also hidden in here to up the challenge!
I haven’t introduced stamps to E yet so this page should be a entertaining experience for us both! This should be pretty straight forward: pick a stamp, find the letter, and stamp it. You can also use letter stickers if you don’t have stamps.
For a gross motor addition, this page will include a letter hunt. Underneath each post-it is the same letter. Place the post-it notes around the room for your child to find. She’ll bring them back to build her name. You could also write her name on a large paper hanging on the wall to bring the letters back to.
We’re big sticker fans around here, especially in Active Learning Journals! This page is real manageable, write each letter on a circle sticker in different colors (if you want!) and give to your child.
These last two ideas use the optional items.
I love adding a sensory element to active learning journal work to really up the active aspect of this work! In the rice, I hid all the magnet letters to build the names of people who are important to E. She’ll use the magnet wands to find each letter and then move them onto the journal page to build our names. I anticipate that J will want to participate with this one as well!
Did you know you can write on Magna-tiles with dry erase markers? It’s a game changer for sure! I’ll write a letter on each tile for E to match using all the tools we’ve been using. I would have loved to use this activity in my kindergarten classroom!
I hope you have found a few ideas you can use to teach names with your child! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I’m @theteachingnanny or email me at theteachingnannyblog@gmail.com I’d love to connect with you!
The Teaching Nanny 