First Name
Learning to spell the child's name while playing ball
Instructions
- Sit on floor with child and a ball (tennis, basketball, soccer, etc.)
- Roll ball to child saying child’s name. Sit with legs in front of you and open to corral the ball
- Child rolls ball back saying name
- Next roll ball saying first letter of child’s name
- Child rolls back saying first letter of name
- Repeat until all letters of the name are spelled aloud
- Final time, roll ball back and forth saying letters as fast as you can
Extend
Child rolls ball to you saying each letter in his name without adult saying letters first. Another idea, the child bounces ball to adult saying each letter in his name.
Materials
- ball
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Curriculum Plan Resources
Skills Focus
- Shape - Oval
- Color - Brown
- Number - Nine, 9
- Alphabet Letters - Q, T, L
- Senses - Sight
- Character Trait - Friendliness
- Target Words - Fast, Front, Sort, Same
Monthly Proverb
Spanish - Tell me who you’re with and I’ll tell you who you are
Did You Know?
"The brain develops rapidly during the first five years and quality preschool programs can have a profound impact during this time.” CA First 5
Books to Read
"Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On"
by Lois Ehlert (Activity 7)
"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"
by Bill Martin (Activity 8) (audio book available) (NOTE: Please look for the 25th anniversary edition where the text is back to the original wording)
"Old Henry"
by Joan Blos (Activity 12)
Music Playlist
"The Alphabet Song"
Album: Big Don’s Big Beat (Activity 5)
"Por Una Cabeza by Carlos Gardel"
Album: The Very Best (Activity 20)
"The Turtle Song"
by Suzi Shelton Album Simply Suzi (Activity 11)
Monthly Materials List
Click Here to view the list!
Fingerplay / Poems / Songs
There Was A Little Turtle
(Activity 11 Month 11)
There was a little turtle who lived in a box.
He swam in the water, he climbed on the rocks.
He snapped at a mosquito, he snapped at a flea, he snapped at a minnow and he snapped at me.
He caught that mosquito, he caught that flea, he caught that minnow, but he didn’t catch me.
Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
(Activity 19 Month 11)
Now I lay me down to sleep.
I’ll count these hands instead of sheep.
Help me to remember these friends I made.
And all the wonderful times we played.