Skills: emergent writing, interest in print, motivation to read, small motor skills
Materials: blank 2, 3, and 4 section cartoon frames, pencils, colored pencils, crayons
Directions: Start with cartoons with two frames and have children draw pictures of the beginning and end of a story. Next, give them 3 sections to draw the beginning, middle, and end of a story. Demonstrate how to draw dialog bubbles and let them create their own cartoons with 4 frames.
Click Downloads in the menu to the left to get a reproducible copy of these cartoon frames
Materials: old magazines, newspapers, calendars, catalogs, paper, pencils
Directions: Let children cut out an interesting picture and glue it to a sheet of paper. Have them draw lines labeling objects in the picture. *Write five sentences about the picture. *Let them write a story about the picture. What are the people saying? What will happen next?
Materials: paper, crayons or markers
Directions: Children write a word and then trace around it with several different colors of crayons. *Make a giant letter or word on a large sheet of newsprint for the whole class to create a giant rainbow word.
Materials: clipboard, paper, pencil, party glasses
Hint! You can make your own clipboards with a 9X12” piece of corrugated cardboard and a butterfly clip.
Directions: Children wear the glasses and walk around the room with the clipboard writing words they can read. *Challenge children to find a word for each letter in their name. Can they find a word for each letter in a seasonal word? Can they find a word for every letter of the alphabet?
Materials: paper, stapler, scissors, pencils, pens, stickers, stamps, crayons
Directions: Prepare mini-books by stacking 4 or 5 sheets of paper. Staple in all four corners. Cut down the middle lengthwise and widthwise and you’ll have four mini-books. Let children create their own stories with crayons, stickers, and other media. *If you staple 4 times down the short side of the stack and cut three horizontal lines across you can make “long” books.
Materials: paper, crayons, markers, pencils, pens
Directions: Demonstrate how to make a card by folding a sheet of paper into fourths. Children can make cards for friends’ birthdays, for parents, or for sick children.
*Ask parents to save old greeting cards. Children can cut the fronts off and glue to a sheet of paper to create a “recycled” card.
Materials: pencils, pens, artificial flowers, florist tape
Directions: Tape a flower to a pencil or pen with florist tape to create a writing tool children will enjoy using.
*Use season flowers, such as fall mums, poinsettias, daffodils, etc.
Materials: shoe box, mystery object (something from nature, a toy, classroom object), paper, pencil, clasp envelope
Directions: Place the object in the shoe box. (Tape shut!) Children take the box and shake it. Ask them write their name on a sheet of paper and then draw or write what they think is in the box. Have them put their guess in the clasp envelope when they are finished. When everyone has had a turn at this center, open the box!!!
Hint! You could also hide an object in a sock and knot it at the top.
Materials: paper, pencils, clip board
Directions: Invite children to make lists of friends or school objects.
*Make lists of animals, foods, sports, fruits, movements, people they want to invite to their birthday party, etc.
Materials: order forms from book clubs, catalogs, etc.
Directions: Let children practice filling out order forms.
Materials: blank paper, envelopes, pencils, pens
Directions: Encourage children to write letters to politicians, authors, sports heroes, and other famous people.