The Name Game

When I taught Kindergarten, we began to learn about letter names and sounds right away!  We accomplished this by beginning to learn about our classmates’ names.  Every day we played the Name Game.  We started with “round one” of the Name Game and worked our way through the class list.  Once all students had a chance to be the “name” of the day, we then moved onto “round two” of the Name Game.  This continued until we finished all rounds.  Scroll down for further information about each activity.  Throughout the first months of school, we also read books about names.

 See the book list!

• Write student’s name on sentence strip.  Cut name apart, place each letter into pocket chart.  Do the name chant  – – “give me an ___, give me a ____, etc.”   Work on letter names, formation, and sounds.
• Create student name/portrait book.  Teacher/students write name at the bottom of white copy paper.  They then draw a picture of the student.  When finished, staple together, allow student to take it home.
• Make a name bottle for the student.  Add letter beads, water, and glitter to bottle.  Use the name bottles in a literacy center.

• Add name and photo of student (digital) to classroom names graph.  Compare names on graph.  Make observations (longest, shortest, number of letters, vowels, consonants, etc) about the data.  Using the cut apart name, make a name puzzle envelope for the student.
• Write student’s name on sentence strip, cut it apart, and place each letter into pocket chart.  Identify letters in students name.  Count the number of letters in the name.  Name tins could be created instead of name envelopes.  Use magnetic paper to print names.  Use name tins/envelopes as a literacy center activity.

• Write student’s name on sentence strip, cut it apart, and rebuild the name.  Add student’s name to “Our Big Book of Names” class book.  For example, the name “BAILEY” would be written on the B, A, I, L, E, and Y pages of the book.

•  Write student’s name on sentence strip, cut it apart, and rebuild the name.  Distribute “Fun Font Name” baggies.  Model how assemble student’s name onto colored construction paper.  Glue Fun Font names (student’s name in fun fonts) onto student’s page in the “Our Big Book of Fun Font Names” class book.

• Complete “About Us” and “Name Math” book page for the student.  Student of the day completes the page (taped to the teaching easel).  Other students practice writing name, numbers, words, sentences on whiteboards while the student of the day completes the page.