Finger plays can help children make meaningful connections between oral language and print. Write finger plays on a chart and use for group reading using one of these strategies.
Choral Reading - The teacher and children read the finger play together as the teacher sweeps her hand from left to right under the words.
Shadow Reading (aka echo reading) - The teacher reads each line and the children "echo" the line after the teacher.
Take a Turn - The teacher reads line and then the children read a line.
Missing Word - Leave a word or phrase out and have the children fill it in.
Say What? Read it the wrong way and let the children correct you by asking, "Say what?" The children then read the correct way.
With Emotions - Read the finger play happy, sad, mad, and scared. Chose the "tone" that works best for the rhyme.
*Read or say with other silly voices.
*You can download these "fluency cards" on drjean.org.
Print Connections - Print copies of finger plays for the children and use to identify letters, words, punctuation, and other skills you want to reinforce.
*Use letter pops (magnetic letters glued to jumbo craft sticks) to match letters in finger plays.
Puzzles - Cut apart lines of finger plays as shown to make puzzles.
Pointers - Give children pointers to track the print as they say finger plays.
Magic wand – dip the end of a chopstick in glue and roll in glitter
Finger nail – glue a fake fingernail to a craft stick
I Spy – glue a googly eye to a craft stick
Jewel – glue a fake jewel to a craft stick
Take a Turn - The teacher reads line and then the children read a line.
Missing Word - Leave a word or phrase out and have the children fill it in.
Say What? Read it the wrong way and let the children correct you by asking, "Say what?" The children then read the correct way.
With Emotions - Read the finger play happy, sad, mad, and scared. Chose the "tone" that works best for the rhyme.
*Read or say with other silly voices.
Print Connections - Print copies of finger plays for the children and use to identify letters, words, punctuation, and other skills you want to reinforce.
*Use letter pops (magnetic letters glued to jumbo craft sticks) to match letters in finger plays.
Puzzles - Cut apart lines of finger plays as shown to make puzzles.
Pointers - Give children pointers to track the print as they say finger plays.
Magic wand – dip the end of a chopstick in glue and roll in glitter
Finger nail – glue a fake fingernail to a craft stick
I Spy – glue a googly eye to a craft stick
Jewel – glue a fake jewel to a craft stick
If you missed my webinar on finger plays you can watch it now with this link:
https://home.edweb.net/webinar/earlychildhood20190325/
Check out the new packet that Carolyn Kisloski and I have put together with 60 of our favorite finger plays. Included in this packet are full sheet, illustrated finger plays for you to use in the classroom. You may want to enlarge the pages for shared reading or make a classroom book with them. Also included in the packet are half-sheet illustrated copies of each finger play that you may send home with each child to share with their families.
