Learning Letters and Making Words Activity

Preschoolers learn new words through constant exposure. Normally, as parents we are exposing them to many different words when we are asking them to do something. We use plenty of directive words (expecially around age 2:). There are other kinds of words that are beneficial for our preschoolers to be exposed to when learning letters and words. These words are called descriptive words. Teaching your child more letters and words is as simple as engaging him/her in conversations that uses plenty of descriptive words! The following is an activity for learning letters and making words: What you will need:

• Markers
• An assortment of preschooler friendly "stuff" like, stickers, scraps of foam and material, yarn, cotton balls, dried beans, pipe cleaners, ribbon, lace, etc.
• Yarn or ribbon (small enough to go through the punched holes on poster board)
• Squares of poster board 8" x 8" with two holes punched down one side

Okay, now that you have all of your items for this activity it's time to teach your child some descriptive words!

1. Ask your child to join you in a little game.

2. Scatter all of your "preschooler friendly stuff " around on a table or floor.

3. You begin the game by describing the item that either you or your preschooler pick up first. (describe the item in detail using words describing the color, texture, element used to create it (wood, plastic, etc.).

4. Next, allow your preschooler to try and do the same thing as, your preschooler begins to describe an item use your maker to write down the descriptive words your preschooler has come up with on the poster board.

5. Once all of the items have been described and the words are written out ask your preschooler to find other items in the house that may fit some of the description words used.

6. Also, randomly ask your preschooler to identify any of the letters in the words that you have created together.

6. Use the yarn to create a small descriptive word book to use for future word games. Your preschooler may want to decorate the new book with stickers, foamies, or drawings. (This part could be great for an art activity:)