Family Name Tracing Book

I've been meaning to make ER a version of this activity, ever since I saw it in my copy of Scrapbooking With Your Kids. I think it's a great way to practice letter formation in a meaningful way. After all what kid doesn't want to know how to spell their grandparents' names aka providers of much spoiling and cuddles?

I found, back in my classroom days, that kids are highly motivated to spell the names of people/characters important in their lives. By characters I mean of the cartoon kind, not implying that MY family is a bunch of characters...well on second thought...

This version is different from the one in the book because it's completely digital. I created templates on PS Elements and added my text and pictures. Then simply printed out on cardstock, laminated, hole punched, and put on a ring. Now we're ready to take these along with us, all we need is a dry erase marker. Since I saved the templates it will be simple for me to add names; I plan to add ER's little friends eventually.

If I'd wanted the photos to print out really nicely I could've sent them to Costco for developing but I figured printing out on cardstock on the High setting would be sufficient. It would also be easy to recreate non digitally, just use your best printing as a model for your child to trace and a small picture.I was thinking that if I was still in a kindergarten classroom, it would be fun to make sets with the students' names and put them in a beginning of the year center. The kids always loved looking at pictures of each other. At the start they could trace each other's names; later on it could be made harder by removing the printed names and just leaving a line to write on. Students could write in each other's name using seperate word cards to help them with the spelling and match names to photos.

Digital paper from Lindsay Riches kit Berry Delightful.



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