3 Easy Ways to Practice Name Recognition in December

I love a good name recognition activity! To some they may seem like busy work, but they’re actually really great for pre-readers!

Why name recognition?

Name recognition and practice activities can cover a variety of skills. First, it teaches little ones that letters hold meaning. Because it’s their own name, it’s something they are excited to learn. The letters that make up their name quickly become easy to recognize. By manipulating the letters in various ways, they learn their meaning and, depending on the name, the letter sounds.

Secondly, these activities are great for developing fine motor skills! Some kids are able to understand letters and their sounds before being able to write them clearly. Name building activities allow kids whose hands aren’t developed enough practice letter order without having to go through the frustration of handwriting. When I was teaching I had a little girl who dealt with some muscle weakness issues. She was barely able to hold a crayon. Activities like this came in handy! She knew how to spell her name, she just couldn’t write it yet.

Lastly, name recognition activities don’t have to be fancy. If you don’t have easy access to a computer for printing names with cute fonts and designs, its ok! Writing it out by hand works just as well. You also don’t need a laminator – though they are really great for keeping materials like new. In the picture below I am protecting this worksheet with a binder sleeve. It might not keep papers from bending as well, but you can still use dry erase markers on it, and the best part is that you can reuse them!

So here are 3 easy Christmas-themed ideas for practicing name recognition:

Fill the name. In the photo above, we were using mini erasers to fill in the letters. But they can be filled with anything! Try dry erase markers, finger paint, pompoms, Legos, or Play-doh. One of my favorites is gluing tissue paper onto the letters as it incorporates tearing, pinching and coordination – three important skills for learning to write!

Build the name. There are so many cute ideas out there for name building activities! I love using them for seasonal centers and for decorating around the classroom. Keep in mind that vertical names can be difficult for some kids. While you don’t have to avoid them completely, it’s better to start with name building crafts that sit horizontally. Here’s how we made our ornament names:

I started out by editing and printing the Christmas ornaments on red cardstock. After cutting them out and punching holes at the top, I added silver glitter. (You can also use glitter glue for easier clean up!) Once the glue was dry I strung the ornaments. Now they’re ready for decorating the classroom, Christmas tree, or mantle!

Find the name. The last idea I have to share with you is a sensory gel baggy. This one is so simple and is so engaging! First, fill a freezer bag with hair gel. I used green gel but you can also use clear and add food coloring. Once it’s filled add in mini pompoms, beads, or beans – something that can be moved around. Tape the gel baggy onto the table and slide a sheet of paper with the child’s name underneath. (In the photo below you can see a letter Bb worksheet under the baggy – another fun way to use these sensory bags!) For little ones, move the gel around until the name can be seen. For older ones, push all the pompoms into place with the letters of their name.

I hope this post has inspired your December lesson plans. Thanks for reading and have a very Merry Christmas!