name game.

Who's not always looking for a quick and easy activity?  Here's two you can use in small groups or the kids can work independently in a center or as a whole group lesson!

Puzzle names: We got the template for these in a Mailbox magazine so I don't have an electronic copy, but you could easily make puzzle pieces by either cutting a strip of paper into sections or by using Microsoft Word's auto shapes to create the template.  {there is a dot at the bottom of each piece to help students know which way is up}

Write the student's name with one letter on each piece.  Put in a ziplock mixed up so when students pull them out they have to reorder the letters to properly spell their names.  Teach lesson on using a capital only at the beginning and writing the rest with lowercase.  {can someone tell me...why is it that pre-schools always teach kids to write in ONLY CAPS?!}

Option A: students glue to a sentence strip to be hung as a cubby/table nametag.

Option B: put puzzle pieces back in the back and add all student names to a basket.  Voila!  Instant alphabet center.

Letter Cover-Up:  Write each student's name on a paper plate.  Write remaining letters of the alphabet all over the plate but do not duplicate the letters in the child's name.  Instruct the students that there is a secret message hiding on their plate but they have to make certain letters go away to see it.  They look at the letters and if it is not a letter in their name, they cover it up with a sticker to make it go away!  If they finish correctly their name will appear!

Differentiation: Use only capitals, only lowercase or a combination of both depending on what the child is working on.  For students with little to no letter recognition {including their names} write the letters in their name a little larger than the others.  Give students a nametag or other written representation of their name to double-check each letter.  To extend, write student name randomly on the plate instead of in a straight line.