Names

Why is it important to teach using students names ? To a child, there is nothing more important than his or her own name. Using names to teach letters and name recognition is a very powerful teaching tool. Names are very meaningful to children, therefore they are eager to learn to identify the letters in their own names first; it is very empowering and motivating for them. A child who is eager, motivated, and feels empowered about his or her own learning is going to learn more quickly and retain more than a child who is not.

20 activities to use with student names:

• Sort them by first letter
• Sort them by length (number of letters in the name)
• Use Bingo Dot markers to trace student’s first letter

• Rainbow-write them

• Make names with different mediums (wikki stix, pipe cleaners, playdough)
• Scramble each name and have the students play “guess who?”
• Stamp names with ABC stamps
• Crayon resist watercolor names

• Look for names or letters of names in books
• Make an autograph book
• Make an address book
• Compare and contrast two names: how are they the same, how are they different?
• Go on a name hunt in the classroom (how many names can you find?)
• Put children’s names and pictures on the word wall
• Use pictographs for names
• Make name flip books
• Cut letters out of magazines and glue to paper to make names

• Match names to pictures of people
• Play name concentration
• Make class books with student names

Name Resources: