What’s in a Name??Randi McMillen

Vance Charter School: First Grade Teacher

Who Are You??• Randi McMillen• Vance Charter School: Vance County• Kindergarten and First Grade• Graduated from Elon Univ. in

Elementary Education (NC Teaching Fellow)

• Graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with Masters in Literacy

Patalina Matalinaby: Dr. Jean

Patalina Matalina(Tune: “Shortnin’ Bread”)Chorus: Um plucka lucka lucka, (Pretend to strum a guitar.)Um plucka lucka lucka,Um plucka lucka lucka,Pluck, pluck, pluck.Patalina Matalina Upsadina WalkadinaHoca Poca Loca was his name…His body looked like a frying pan, (Extend arms in front of you.)With two little arms and hands… (Stick out hands.)His head was shaped like a basketball, (Hands in a circle over head.)And he had no hair at all…His ears were big and bright red, (Palms up by side of head.)And they flopped out from his head…Is nose was as long as a garden hose, (Extend one arm from side ofAnd it hung down to his toes… head.)He had two eyes that were yellow and red, (Point to eyes.)And they poked out from his head…His feet were as big as sailboats, (Point to feet and shuffle.)And on the water he could float…But his heart was so big; he was loved by all. (Put hands on heart.)His looks really didn’t matter at all!Activities: Do you know his sister? Yes, it’s Katalina Matalina.

Let’s Start to Have FUN!!

R A N D I

read athletic native amer. dance italian

• You can do this with magazine articles (age appropriate)• Create your name “in pictures” using your drawings.

Spell the word if you can (…sound it out).• When time is up, we will share these with a neighbor.

Research Says…“Between the ages of four and nine, your child will have to master some 100 phonics rules, learn to recognize 3,000 words with just a glance, and develop a comfortable reading speed approaching 100

words a minute. He must learn to combine words on the page with a half-dozen squiggles called punctuation into something – a voice or

image in his mind that gives back meaning. “-Paul Kropp-

"A child's name has singular importance as he embarks on learning about literacy, both for the child's management of his own learning about print and for the observant teacher trying to understand his

pattern of progress ... "Teachers write the child's name on his work, and this labeling of his

drawing, of his coat peg, of his lunch, calls attention to the distinctiveness of a name which distinguishes him from other children. 

This means that there is a need to choose between names by some means.  It enhances his security and his self-image, giving him a feeling

of importance. "In more than one place in the class he should have his own name on a card with big black print.  He can hold it, run his finger along it -- from right to left, preferably -- trace over it, try to copy it, and contrast it

with other children's names."    ~ Marie M. Clay, Becoming Literate

Research Cont’d…• US Dept. of Education:

Teacher Talk•Linn, your name begins with an L (emphasize the

beginning sound). Who else has a name that begins with the same sound? Yes, Larry! Larry's name also begins

with an L.•I'm going to read you an alphabet book. On each page,

there is a letter and a picture of something that starts with the sound that this letter represents. Let's say the name of

the letter first. Then, we'll say the name of the picture. Then, we'll think of some other words or names that start with the same sound. Here we go: A A is for apple). What

other words start like apple? Adam. Okay! Adam, your name starts like apple. What else? Animal! Right! Animal

starts like apple, with the letter A.•Here are some words that begin with the letter M: mother,

monkey, mud, map. What sound do you hear at the beginning of those words? (Emphasize the beginning

sound.)

Ages 3-4• Scholastic states: Help your child learn to identify his own

name and the letters that spell it. Begin by showing him his whole name in functional ways. You might put name labels on his backpack or lunchbox or inside the covers of favorite books. Show your son his name on any mail you receive, such as doctor appointment reminders, school calendars, even junk mail. To help your child learn the letters in his name, write it slowly, saying each letter aloud as you go. Then give him the opportunity to copy the letters. The best way to help your child learn how to write at this age is to provide him with activities that help him feel the large motions of writing.

• Put picture and name on the word wall.• Name Puzzle: put name on a piece of colored cardstock. Cut

apart in puzzle pieces. Have students take apart and put them back together.

• Have each child write his or her name on a piece of paper with a marker. The teacher then shows the alphabet flash cards one at a time.  When a letter comes up that is in the child's name, the child either crosses it out with their pencil/sticker/counter. When all the letters are crossed out or covered, he or she wins! 

Ages 5-6• Student check-in: students can sign in to see who is

here today. Take a picture of the poster the first time they sign in at the beginning of the year and another picture to show growth at the end of the year.

• Use cheerios, shaving cream, bubbles, etc. to write their names on paper or trash bags (have fun with the mess)!!

• Make necklaces/bracelets with beads that have letters to their name.

• Put picture and name on the word wall.• Syllable graph using names in the classroom.• File Folders: After completing morning work or

another worksheet, have the student file their paper in the appropriate file folder (folder should be alphabetized in some sort of box/crate).

Ages 7+• Buy AlphaBet Cheerios (Target), place a handful on

a paper towel on their desk, call out words for review (spelling test) and have students spell a word. They can eat one cheerio or the whole word if you would like.

• Put picture and name on the word wall.• Name plaque (use drawings or magazines to find

pictures using letters of their name.• Have students names on index cards. Allow

students to put them in alphabetical order.

Literacy Centers• Names Lists

• Make charts with photos and names of children• Use charts as a reference tool posted near sign-in sheet,

at Art Area, Writing Area—anywhere children are likely to be trying to write their names or the name of a friend.

• Photo/Name ConcentrationWrite each child’s name on a card and let children match each name with a photo of each child

• Peek-a-Boo BooksPut each child’s photo and name on one page of a book. Cover each photo with a sheet of construction paper taped to the top like a flap. Children try to read the name and then lift

the flap to “peek” to see if they were correct. • ME Books

Have children make books about themselves and about their likes and dislikes and use children’s names in the book titles

and on the pages.• ______’s Family

– This is _____’s _____ (drawing/picture of family members, pets, etc. on each page)

• ______’s Favorite Food– _____’s favorite food is ______ (drawing/picture of

foods child likes on each page)

Literacy Centers Cont’d• Name Match

Write each child’s name on two cards. Put all name cards in one stack and mix up. Have a small group of children work to match the two name cards for each child.

• Name Sorts– Have children try to sort names by the first letter.– Have children sort names by length by counting the number of

letters in each name.– Write children’s names on cards and then cut apart the cards into

each individual letter. Write the child’s name on the front of a small envelope and store the letters inside the envelope. Children can use the model of their name on the outside of the envelope to help them put the letters in the correct order.

• Making 3-D NamesProvide various materials for children to use to build their names

• Alphabet cereal or pasta• Letter stamps• Letter blocks• Magnetic, plastic or foam letters• Clay, yarn or pipe cleaners for them to form over the letters in

their name.

Literacy Centers Cont’d• Finger Paint Names

– Have children use finger paint to write their names.• Water Paint Names

– Have children use water buckets and thick clean paintbrushes to paint their names on the sidewalk and sides of the building.

• Names in Sand– Place sand in a try and have children practice writing their

names in the sand. • Names in Colored Sugar

– Seal a small amount of colored gelatin, colored sugar, or sand in a small plastic bag and lay it flat on the table so a small portion of the color sugar is evenly distributed inside the bag. Children can draw their names with their fingers through the plastic.

• Chalk Tables– Sand and then paint the top of a small old table with chalkboard

paint for children to use indoors or outdoors.• Sidewalk Chalk Names

Have children use sidewalk chalk to write their names on large pieces of paper or outside on the sidewalk

Campaign 2010

• Collaborate with a group of 4-5 about the following questions:– First name and last name?

Nicknames? – Too early to integrate technology

name games? (texting)– Centers: what works? What does

not?– Controversial issues in early

childhood literacy today…

Writing Tools• pencils, crayons, markers • playdough or clay -- freeform or with alphabet cookie cutters * Wikki sticks • finger paints • chalk and chalkboards, or chalk on the sidewalk • paintbrush and water (use on lap size chalkboards or on

sidewalk/playground) • Magna doodle • deodorant roller bottles filled with paint or water • flash cards • wooden letters • die cut letters, from a variety of materials

        * paper         * sandpaper         * plastic         * craft foam         * pop up sponges

• sponge letters • white glue on black paper

        * plain         * with glitter         * with macaroni or seeds         * with yarn

• salt box (put one pound of salt in a box lid or pie pan, write with finger, shake to erase)

• Etch-a-Sketch (difficult, but fun and good fine motor skill practice) • shaving cream on a table top • math manipulatives & "junk boxes"  to form letters on floor or table • Tinkertoys & other building toys • pipe cleaners / chenille craft stems • pretzels (curved and straight) stuck together with cheese cubes

Concepts of Print

• Directionality -- left-to-right progression of print across the line * The difference between a letter and a word

• Letter recognition & letter formation • Phonemic Awareness & sound-symbol

relationships • Consonants and vowels • Initial, medial, and ending sounds • Rhyming words • Word chunks (those little words that are found

in bigger words, like /at/ in /Pat/

Name Songs/Poetry Tune of “Bingo”

There is a child that I know best and Jordan is his name-O!J-O-R-D-A-N, J-O-R-D-A-N, J-O-R-D-A-NAnd Jordan is his name-O!

Plate Song(tune:  If You’re Happy and You Know It)

If your name is on the plate pick it up.If your name is on the plate pick it up.If your name is on the plate,Then you’re really doing great.If your name is on the plate pick it up.~ Author Unknown

Who Took the Cookie From the Cookie Jar?

Name Math Activity

Goooo Dr. Jean (www.drjean.org)

The Name of My School

Do you get tired of children saying, “Teacher, teacher!” the first few days of school? This song will enable them to learn the name of their teacher, school, principal, as well as their community, city, state, and country.

Take photographs of yourself, the principal, the school, your

community, and so forth. Glue pictures to construction paper and write a verse similar to those below on each page. Sing the words to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus.”

The name of my school is (school’s name), (school’s name), (school’s name).The name of my school is (school’s name).That’s the name of my school.

The name of my teacher is (teacher’s name), (teacher’s name),(teacher’s name)…

The name of my principal is…The name of my librarian is…The name of my P.E. teacher is…

Hint! Include social studies concepts so children learn the name of your mayor, governor, the President, your continent, etc.

Kinesthetic Name CheerYou might want to do this activity in conjunction with the Name Cheer as

well.  Choose one student’s name per day to form using the students in the

classroom.  Issue each student needed to participate, a card or necklace with a large letter of the chosen student’s

name.  For example for Alex: four students; one with capital A, one with l, one with e, one with x.  Instead of writing the name cheer on a chart,

you could say, “Give me an A” and the “A” child could step forward.  Continue

until everyone has stepped forward.

Marie Clay says:  "The use of the children's names in a class activity is a useful way of developing letter knowledge.

Children will use their knowledge of letters in family names or classmates' names at later stages as part of their analysis of new words.  Usually it is the initial letters that catch [the

child's] attention."

(from Becoming Literate).  

Table Talk

• At your table, discuss at least 2 things that you are going to take back to your classroom to use.

• Also, list any new ideas that you may have used in your classroom that were not discussed today.

Please complete evaluation forms at this time!

Thank You!!Contact Me Anytime:

Mrs. Randi Oxendine McMillenmcmillenr@vancecharter.org

www.mrsmcmillensclass.pbworks.com

Works Cited• Scholastic: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=1494

• U.S. Dept. of Edu.: http://www2.ed.gov/teachers/how/early/teachingouryoungest/page_pg10.html

• www.kinderkorner.com

• Fisher, Bobbi. 1991. Joyful Learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

• Barclay, 2009 Southeast Regional IRA, New Orleans

• www.kinderkorner.com– Name Section

• www.thevirtualvine.com– Name section– Literacy Connections section