Ask the children to pick the songs and fingerplays and perform them together. Ask a volunteer to lead the group and encourage everyone to join him or her.
Giving the children the responsibility of making important choices helps build self-esteem and confidence. They are building their early literacy skills as they sing songs and recite fingerplays. The fingerplays will also help the children develop their dexterity.
Set out crayons and markers and a variety of different colors and weights of papers in the Writing Center. Encourage the children to write stories about something that is happening in the classroom or in their lives. Once they are done, ask them to dictate their stories to you so you can write them down. Read the stories back to the class and praise the children for a job well done.
Inviting children to begin writing will help them develop their literacy skills. They are also developing their fine motor skills, self-confidence and working with their peers and adults.
As you begin to introduce letters to the children, ask the children to use different colors of dough to make models of the letters. Begin with easier letters such as “T” or “L.” As the children shape the letters, remind them of the sounds the letters make and words that begin with those letters.
Introducing letter shapes and sounds is the cornerstone of learning how to read. Making the activity fun and kinesthetic will make it easier for the children to remember the information. They are also working with their peers, problem solving, and learning about letter formation.