Palm Pilot
Practice saving words with palm pilots. Children hold up one palm and write the letters in a word with the index finger of their other hand. Pretend to run your fingers up your arm to your brain as you say the word. Do each word three times to make sure it gets “saved” in the brain.
*Children can also do “invisible” writing in the air or write on each other’s backs.
Rainbow Words
Children write words with a black crayon or marker in the middle of the page and then trace around the word with different colors of crayons.
*Hint! Write a “giant” word in the middle of a large sheet of newsprint. Tape it to a wall and encourage all of the children to trace around it.
Shaving Cream
Squirt shaving cream (non-menthol) on each child’s desk. After they explore with it they can practice writing words.
Sandpaper
Cut letters out of sandpaper and glue them on poster board to make words. Children trace over the letters with their fingers as they blend the sounds.
Sand and Salt Trays
Cover the bottom of a tub or shoe box with sand or salt. Let children practice writing words in the tub.
*You can also write words on construction paper and place them in the bottom of the tub. Cover with sand. Children scrape away the sand and try to read the word.
Lotty Dotty
Write words by making dots with a water-based marker. Put a drop of glue on top of each dot. Dry. The marker will bleed into the glue to create a textured word. Children trace over the dots as they read the word.
Hint! Let children make rubbings of lotty dotty words. Can they connect the dots and write the word?
Bumpy Words
Write words on top of needlepoint canvas with a crayon. Children can trace over the bumpy letters as they read the word.
Disappearing Words
Give children a cup of water and a piece of sponge. Children write words with the sponge on a chalkboard. Can they remember the word as it dries and disappears?
*They can also write words with a paintbrush on the sidewalk.
Note! These strategies can be adapted for learning letters, numbers, shapes, etc.
