When children begin learning the written language, one of the most important models that allow them to reflect on some of the characteristics of writing is their own name.
The name is a very family and meaningful word for children and encourages learning for the following reasons:
• It is a stable writing model that maintains its characteristics regardless of the context in which it appears.
• Children can know it relatively easily.
• As they recognize the relationship between the initial letter of their name and the initial sound, they can establish simulated relationships with other names and words.
• When children know few letters, the name can serve as an "alphabet." Since they are more interested in the letters of their name because they consider it their own.
The names attendance list is used for children to recognize their name and that of others and use their name as a source of knowledge about the sound value of letters and the order in which they are written. For example, to be able to differentiate that, although Rocío and Roberto begin with the same syllable RO, both names are different.
Activities:
The letters that make up the names:
• Initial letter:
- Each team, and later the whole class, observe the cards and group all those children whose names have the same initial letter; they write them on the board and then they read to the group.
The teacher asks questions that lead to the comparison of the different scriptures: with what letter do all the names start? What is the name of this letter? Do they all start the same? Are the other letters also the same? Which is the longest ?, and the shortest ?, What other letters have the same? among others.
The teacher proposes to think of other names that begin with the letter analyzed; they write them and discuss those scriptures. Then they look for other words, that are not names and they also write it.
• Final letter:
Through this activity children will become aware that most of the female names end with A and most of the male names in O.
- The teacher asks the children of a team to group all the names that end in O.
- Question: the names of those ending in O ?, what's more, girls or girls with the name ending in O? it may be the case of female names with that ending; This is the case of Rosario, or of men with other terminations as in Omar, Rubén, José or Miguel.
- The teacher asks them to think of names ending in O. In each case he asks: is that name male or female? He then notes that many, but not all, male names end in O.
- They search the cards for the names of the children who have another final letter and write and read them.
It is probable that in the group there are names in which the initial and final letters coincide. The teacher compares the names of the children who are in this situation, for example:
Sonia, Silvia
Pedro Pablo
Marta, María
Help them in this task by means of questions: How are these two names similar? How are they different? Which one has more letters?
That same activity can be done with the whole group, choosing a couple of names each time.
• Equal letters in different order: it can happen in the group, there are children with different names, but composed of the same letters. It is the case of:
Rose María
Mary Rose
Ana Maria
Mariana
A variety of activities based on the name of the children can be proposed:
• Form letter teams and work on this topic with the students.
• Compound names.
• Nicknames
• Look for words that begin the same as the proper name.
• Words that rhyme with the name.
Reference:
https://www.todopapas.com/ninos/desarrollo-infantil/ensenar-al-nino-a-escribir-su-nombre-7764
