Activity Idea: Word of the Week

Kindergarten QuickSource® reminds us  that "Children in the kindergarten years will strengthen emerging literacy, numeracy skills and their speaking and listening skills while acquiring new words as they share their discoveries with others."


Here's an activity called Word of the Week  that will help children increase their vocabulary. This activity gives the child a solid foundation to begin the reading process during this first year of school. For this activity, you will need White Sentence Strips - Pack of 100  (WSE),  Pocket Chart (POCK),  and Markers  (PERMCLR).

 Materials Needed:
White Sentence Strips - Pack of 100  (WSE)  
Colorations® Color Permanent Markers - Set of 12 ( PERMCLR)
 Pocket Chart (POCK)

Let’s Get Started:
1. A good way to increase vocabulary in young children is to choose a "Word of the Week." A word should be chosen that may be unfamiliar to many of the children.
2. Write the word on a card or sentence strip while the children watch.
3. Have the children say the word.
4. Post the word in a place where it can be noticed often during the week.
5. Throughout the next few days, revisit the word asking the children the meaning.

 If using POCET™, this activity correlates to Developmental Guideline LG3: Understands More Complex Vocabulary and Displays Listening Comprehension.

Activity Idea: Finger Writing

Preschool Activity QuickSource® reminds us that " Finger writing is a good way to help children develop fine motor skills and begin to understand the formation of alphabet letters."

Here's an activity called Finger Writing that will help children develop their sorting and grouping skills. To progress from using scribbles to using letter-like symbols. For this activity, you will need colored sand (CS), art tray (RECTRAY) (or cookie sheet and sand) and colored tape (CMT).

Materials Needed:  
 Colorations® Colorful Craft Sand  (CS)
 Colored Masking Tape (CMT) 
 Brawny Tough Large Plastic Art Trays ( RECTRAY)

Let's Get Started:
1. Place a piece of colored tape on the left side of a cookie sheet.

2. Spread a thin layer of sand or salt on a cookie sheet.

3. Have the child practice writing his or her name with their finger in the sand beginning at the tape and moving left to right.

4. Show the child how to quickly “erase” errors or to begin again by smoothing the sand with his or her hand or by gently shaking the tray to reposition the sand.

A variation of the activity is to place colored hair gel in a small zip locked plastic bag, seal it, and watch what happens when the child’s finger writes while the bag is lying flat on a table.

If using POCET, this Activity correlates to Developmental Guideline: LT 15 Progresses from Using Scribbles to Using Letter-Like Symbols.