Using First Names During Writing Workshop

As I have discussed in  a previous post, our first names can be really useful learning tools in every subject area. They are especially great to use in the beginning of the year. I went to a workshop years ago, and the presenter told us how to make an alphabet name chart for our students. I thought that this was a great idea and I make one every year.

You basically make a grid, one square per letter. Then, you type in the first names of all of your students in the proper letter square on the chart (first letter of first name).  I give each student an alphabet chart to keep in their writing folders and they stay in the folders for the entire year. We use first names to write letters to our friends,  include them in the stories we write, make lists, to label illustrations, etc. My first grade colleagues place the students' first names on the word wall, too. There are so many possibilities!

I made a few versions of the grid. The first grid is a blank pdf version (you would have to write in the names), the second is my model with names already in it, and the third is a word doc that you can alter. Enjoy!

Kindergarten Alphabet Chart Blank PDF Version

Kindergarten Alphabet Chart Model PDF

Kindergarten Chart Blank Word Doc (You can alter for your class)

No More Letter of the Week

When I moved from first grade to kindergarten, this was one of the first books I purchased. I absolutely love the title and the entire philosophy of the book. If you are not familiar with the book or "program", I really encourage you to read the book. Rather than focusing on just one letter per week, each student in the class becomes a letter expert.

Typically, you will explore about two to three letters per week. The child brings home a sheet (provided in the book) describing their letter assignment. They are asked to bring in small items from home that start with their letter the next day. Gradually,you create an alphabet wall and each child is responsible for teaching the class about the letter. Each letter also has a poem to go along with it. Then, you revisit the wall on a weekly basis, chant the poems, and review the letters and sounds.

After the wall is complete and each child has been assigned a letter, I have them make letter expert books. The students think of three words that start with their letter and illustrate each page. Once all of the books have been completed, we place all of them in a basket in front of the wall.

 Here is what the wall looks like before you begin:

My board is now complete, so I will post another picture later. It's great to see the finished product!

Here is a copy of the letter expert book:

Letter Expert Book