Teacher Netta's Notes

This week a lentil name activity was introduced to all students. Each child has a pre- made name card and they have to find their own name within a stack of all 19 student names. This is great practice, especially for our preschoolers, because in order to find their own name, they have to recognize the letters that their name contains! After the kids find their name, glue is traced over each letter and they are challenged to use the small lentils to cover the glue. It has been fun trying to figure out the best way to lay the lentils to minimize the amount of glue getting stuck to everyone's fingers! I have already seen some problem solving techniques that include ideas like dropping the lentils carefully on the glue or nudging the lentils into the glue. This activity helps strengthen fine motor skills since the kids have to clench the lentils between their fingers and also maneuver it effectively to place the bean on their letter. This activity also practices letter knowledge- what the letters look like and what letters make up their own name. This project requires a high level of concentration and focus which will eventually lead each child to focus on other activities or works for longer periods of time. My hope is that when they are all done we can hang them up so the kids can see their name and feel pride in the work they accomplished!