What techniques do preschool teachers use to teach children how?

Question

to write their names?

Answer 1

For pre-k we have their names taped to a table where they sit for certain activities. They can copy from those. We have also given them dotted letters of their name and they trace those. They write it on every paper or activity they do in the classroom At first they might only know one letter or none and just use prewriting skills, then the teacher writes it as they spell it. Another class I have had the children sign their name beside their already written out name every day they come to school. Practice and encouragement.

Answer 2

I wrote an answer that dealt with writing recently.  It has more to do with writing numbers than letters, but I hope it helps.

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What we use to get students to write numbers is actually quite different. The problem with writing is that many students do not have the fine motor skills developed to write. They also may not have the concentration.

With that in mind, the question becomes "how do we build that up so that writing becomes a natural thing for children?" I think it is important that we help the child develop these skills early. Once they are older, their hands are already used to working in a certain way. It is harder later to teach them than it is now, but to simply teach them is not appropriate without a solid foundation.

Begin with the earlier years. Focus on several aspects:

1) Fine motor skills. We talk a lot on these boards about exercises in fine motor skills and we do have a lot of great ideas that get presented. I strongly encourage you to develop find motor skills that also promote the pencil grip.  

Puzzels that have pegs in them that you naturally use your 2 fingers and thumb are fantastic for this. Transferring beads from one container to the next with your fingers is also an activity that children enjoy and that helps build up control of these muscles. Using small tongs and picking up objects also help with this. Be sure to demonstrate to the children how to do these activities properly.

When I am selecting which bead I want next and presenting this material, I look at my fingers making the motion, then hold it up (not raised...just naturally) as I select my next bead, continually making that motion. Simply demonstrating this way gets most children actively involved in this.

2) Concentration. The activities in the classroom are set up to build up a child's level of concentration. There are things within the materials that tell the student if they messed up. It becomes evident because they cannot complete the task of the material. They have to concentrate and find out the solution to the problem. It is also important to isolate the idea you are teaching. If you are teaching colors, it may confuse the child to have a blue sky matched up with a blue elephant. Why shouldn't the blue elephant be matched up with the red cat? They're both animals. Isolate the materials so that the only difference between them is the blue or the red. This helps the child to focus strictly on the one task he is working on.

3) Order - teach students to work with materials from left to right and top to bottom. This will develop as an instinct over time and will make writing and reading easier, since they're used to starting so many other things this way.

4) Pre-writing writing materials. We have a set of metal shapes that the child can use. They come in a square, red frame and the shape is cut out and inlayed inside that frame in blue. There are 10 frames: Circle, square, rectangle, quatrofoil, ellipse, oval, pentagon, parallelogram, trapezoid, and curvilinear triangle. The k**b on the shape to pull it out is exactly like the k***s I described in #1...it allows the student to grab ahold of it naturally with a pencil grip to move it. (There's no easier way to pick it up)

The child takes this, along with some colored pencils, to a table and begins working with it. The first thing they do is place the red frame over the paper (no blue shape in there now) and trace the shape. The main issue when a child first starts writing by now does not seem to be the pencil grip, as they have practiced that since day 1 of school, although indirectly. If this is an issue, it is easily corrected since they already have their muscles trained to the feel of the grip. The main issue tends to be that they press too hard.

      

They may tear the paper. They may break the pencil. The nice thing about this is that they immediate know something was wrong and can correct it the next time. There is no need for teacher interference at this point. The child just sees it and tries to make it lighter the next time. Tracing the inside of the shape has the control of error that the child cannot go outside the shape itself. This is the first step in control of where the pencil goes.

The second step involves the child being able to trace the ouside of the blue shape. This is much harder because the child must control the pencil to a much higher degree.

Other activities involve drawing lines inside the shapes, different shading within the shape, and various thing that help control the pencil control. It is quite a sight to see a child who can trace the red one, then the blue, then color the inside of various shades from lightest to darkest.

All of those help the child be prepared for writing, even if it does not seem like it at first. (Who would think picking up beads actually helps them write?)



As far as the direct writing of numbers is concerned, many of our number activities use sandpaper numbers. These are numerals cut out of sandpaper and glued onto a wooden board.

The child takes their index and middle finger and traces the shape. If they go outside the shape, they automatically sense the difference. Children, after practice, can even do this blindfolded. This helps them both with feeling how the number is written and learning the name of the number. They have a sensorial experience with what the shape of the number is that leaves a better image in their mind of how to write it.

I also think it is important to educate parents as far as the development of writing is concerned. Many do not realize that when a child is drawing random shapes and calling it writing, that is a crucial early step. They have yet to see the exactness of all the letter/number characters we have. That comes with time and practice. They often then move into shapes in the right spots (left to right) or lines drawn on the paper (straight or squiggly lines). Then they begin to just form letters that they know and then begin to see a process happening. Few parents realize this and are quick to just rush their child into writing things correctly. That's just NOT how it works.

Answer 3

it depends on learners! you get visual, audio and kinesthetic learners. Generally a variation of three techniques is used. you Need to put the letter of their names in front of them, get them to see the, you need to say the letters and ask the children to follow you and repeat and then you have t get the kids to try and make their bodies into the letter shape. Generally a lot of repetition is needed, get them to trace it, repeat it, play with it and eventually it will come

Answer 4

First, make sure your child knows the letters in his name and the order in which they occur.  This can be accomplished by making up a song to spell out the child's name.  Start with the first name only.  Refrain from nicknames.  Many children enter prek and K not knowing their real name.  Second, draw their name in very large letters and allow them to glue macaroni, cherrios, froot loops, etc. onto the letters.  Next, print the child's name in large letters, let the child use a different color.  Another method is to use sand, playdough, or the write and swipe boards.  Repetition is a great way to teach writing skills.  Regardless of the method, don't look for perfection. Remember, it's the process not the end product.  Children learn by doing.  It might not look pretty, but it's their work.  The worst thing you can do is to dash their efforts. Every effort is a step towards skill mastery.

Answer 5

Preschool children go through several developmental steps as they learn to write their name and other words. First they go through different steps just learning how to hold a pencil, once this is down they need to go through the writing stages which are; scribble writing, making letter like forms, and then finally they will begin to make letters. Children need to go through the various steps in order to learn to write their names. Children should not be rushed. Tracing is not a good step, some children are confused even more. Good luck.

Answer 6

I have found that the most successful technique was to have the children sign in every day.  We laminated name strips.  For the young children or those that needed a little more help we added green "go" dots where you start the letter and red "stop" dots where we stopped the letter.  We always started with their first name.  Those who are successful with their first name we made a last name strip as well for them.

I like to see name cards at the fine motor/writing center and materials for them to practice with.

sand, playdough, salt, pipe cleaners, squishy bags (fingerpaint inside of bags), name rubbing plates (names written and lined with glue so they can rub over them with crayons), tracing paper, wikki sticks, lap boards (chalk/dry-erase).  Hope that gives you somewhere to start!

Answer 7

they try to get them to trace then practice sheets then words.

Answer 8

Tracing broken lines of their names (each letter is made from a dotted line) I used to also have them do kinesthetic things..Like roll their letters out in playdough, etc. just to get them used to how their name looks.

Answer 9

Start with holding a pencil properly, a neat trick is to tuck a tissue in the hand to be held by the 2 smallest fingers. Most children will then automatically hold the pencil correctly. Then have them start making straight vertical lines and small circles.

Answer 10

Write the name in yellow highlighter - have them trace them.  then show them a card with their name on and have them copy - have them name the letters as they go.  Eventually, they will have it down!  good luck.

Answer 11

Mixed modern and classical techniques......., patiently...........