Names, names, names '"

Names everywhere.
There are dozens of ways students can begin learning to recognize and how to write their names.  Here are the first 12+ activities I try.

It's the first week of kindergarten and besides procedures, we do name activities, games, songs to help us learn the students' names. 

1.  "The more we get together" song is my favorite to do as our first lesson.  The children don't realize it is a lesson but it is.  I always sing each child's name as I touch their shoulders.  This draws attention to the child so others can connect who the name belongs to.  It helps stretch my memory too.  AND it acknowledges that each student is important in our class.
The more we get together, together, together,
The more we get together, the happier we'll be.
There's Kathy, and Sam, and Lola and Nathan,
The more we get together, the happier we'll be.
continue singing until each child's name has been sung.
 
2.  "Whose name is this?"  chant/song.  
Whose name is this?  Who can it be?
Whose name is this?  Please look and see.
I hold up a name card and first see if the child can recognize the name before LOOKING at them and if they cannot read it, I will say "This says Micah."  Each day I do this, I expect the students to quickly recognize their name (or the names of their classmates) and say the name and "Here I am."  or "That's me!"
I also have the student come get their name card and place it on our large pocketchart.  This is how I take attendance the first two days.  

3.  Daily Attendance -  Once we've practiced with our name cards for two days, I have the name cards on the floor where they must find their name each day and put it on the pocketchart.  Each day this is our daily procedure kind of like checking in, old time cards. 

 4.  Name Hats -  We glue preprinted names on sentence strips (learning how to glue practice) or on sentence strip   with name written, students can decorate the rest of the strip.  Sometimes they draw pictures of their favorite things, sometimes they can draw shapes and make a repeating pattern.  These strips are then measured  around their heads for a Name Hat.  I keep these in a large gift bag so the students can wear them when a substitute guest teacher is in the class.

5.  Write names again and again. 
Use markers, pencils, paint, colored pencils, chalk, dryerase markers, crayons to write to learn form, shape and sequence. 


Rainbow write.  Names are written in a light marker or gray color font.  Student uses one color at a time to trace each letter (ideally, saying the name of the letter as they trace it), second color is traced the same way and a third color.

Bleeding/Fuzzy letters - Names written with a dark color watercolor  marker.  Students use a water wet brush and trace over letters. The color will bleed out.

6.  Play name games.  Here are two of my favorites.

• Who stole the cookies? 
  
  Students sit criss
  cross in a circle.  Slap knees and hands in rhythm while saying:  

          Who stole the cookies from the cookie jar?
  Teacher calls out a student's name to begin game continuing the chant:
        Mason stole the cookies from the cookie jar.
Student says  "Who me?"
Class replies  "Yes you!"
Student responds  "It couldn't be."
Class says  "Then who?"  hands can face up in question.
Student chooses another student for next verse.  Next student could be child next to him.  If he doesn't know their name, this is a great way to practice asking "What is your name?" (opportunity for learning and practicing manners)

Names written on a paper cookie, could also be pulled from a cookie jar or turned over to select next player.

• Doggie, Doggie, Where's your bone?

 Students sit in a circle.  One child sits on a chair in the center as the 'Doggie.'  An eraser or 'bone' is placed under the chair.  The Doggie closes his eyes AND covers them with their hands while the class says,
Doggie, Doggie, Where's your bone?  Somebody took it from your home.  Guess who?
While class is reciting, the teacher selects a student to quietly crawl over to get the bone and hide it behind him or in their lap.  
Doggie opens his eyes and gets 3 guesses asking "Nancy, Do you have my bone?"  This challenges the students to learn each others' names or learn by asking 'what is your name?'  It also is teaching the children game procedures and taking turns.
If Doggie guesses, he can get another turn or selects next dog.  If Doggie does not guess, the child with the bone is the new Doggie.

7.  Playdoh names.  Students learn how to roll playdoh into snakes and form letters of their name.


8.  Shaving Cream writing.  Just squirt the cream right on the table or on a tray.  This helps make the room smell fresh.  Students practice spreading out the foam to make a writing surface or to erase and start again.

9.  Building names with plastic letters/alphabet blocks/cut letters from cereal boxes.

10.  Matching classmates names.  Write the names of friends.

• Take photos of students and put names on cards.  Students can match the picture to the name like a puzzle

• Students can write classmates' names next to photocopied page of pictures. 

11.  Class helpers.  Students names are written on charts or displayed as class line leader, table helper, etc.
Mailboxes with names and photos help with name recognition.

12.  Cheer Names -This helps with all alphabet recognition. You can use pompoms if you want.
Teacher says:  Give me a "b"    Respond:  "b"
                        Give me a "r"                     "r" 
                         Give me an "a"                  "a"
                         Give me a  "d"                   "d"
     What does that spell?                           Brad
     What does that spell?                           Brad
     What does that spell?                            Brad !!!
The child whose name is being cheered can stand up or come to front of class.

13.  Throughout the year my class enjoys making lists of names using clipboards and dry erase boards.  They see the names everywhere.  
And 'the more they practice right, the better they get!'

 Hand-in-hand we grow!

 Janet