Many of the children are becoming increasingly interested in their own names, as well as the names of their friends and family. We are noticing that more children can now recognise their own name, and in some cases, the names of others. There is also a growing enthusiasm for attempting to write their names.
To support this learning in class, we regularly talk about the letters that names begin with, exploring both the letter sound and the letter name. This week, we focused on this during a morning group session. I began by sharing different letter sounds (for example, /r/) and asking the children if they could think of a name in our class that starts with that sound. They were eager to contribute, calling out names such as “Rosa” and “Razan,” and showing great excitement in making these connections.
We then looked at a slideshow of names and invited the children to identify who each one belonged to, before revealing the answer with a photograph. This created lots of anticipation and discussion as the children checked their ideas.
Afterwards, we moved to the shared space for an active game. As I held up a letter and said its name and sound, the children whose names begin with that letter ran over to join me. This was a lively way to reinforce their understanding through movement and play.
We have also introduced a new self-registration activity in the mornings. Alongside posting their photo to show how they feel, the children are now encouraged to find their own name on a list and place a photograph next to it. This provides another meaningful opportunity for them to engage with name recognition as part of our daily routine.
