Inside: These name recognition ideas are easy to add to the preschool classroom, and a fun way to build literacy skills. We display the children’s names in a variety of places not only to identify property, but to also help with name recognition. This is one of the first steps towards preschoolers writing their names, too!
We love preschool name recognition ideas because names are often the first word a young child learns how to read.
I’ve shared how we include literacy activities in all areas of the classroom, and our students’ names included.
If you were to walk into our classroom, you’d see names on the wall, on furniture, on cards, on photos, even hanging from the ceiling.
Halfway through our school year, many of our 3 year olds are pointing out letters from their names or recognizing their entire names. Eventually, they will start writing their names, too. Pretty fun and exciting!
Our Favorite Name Recognition Ideas for the Preschool Classroom
Displaying Names
Coat hooks:
Cubbies:
We have cubbies in the hallway for each of our students in our 2 and 3 year old classes. We also have cubbies inside the classroom for our 3 year olds.
Any work they do that doesn’t need to dry immediately goes into their classroom cubbies. They learn quickly where to find their cubbies by looking for their names.
Memory Books:
Names are displayed on the spines of our memory books and stored in our classroom all year.
(Read more about our memory books.)
Artwork:
We display names beside the children’s work on our bulletin boards.
Small groups:
At the end of each morning in our 3’s class, we have about 10 minutes of small groups. The children are separated into 4 groups, each group being a different color. As we call the children to their tables, they look for their name cards.
We do the same for snack as well.
(Read more about our small groups.)
Circle Time:
In our 3’s class, the children have their own personalized stools to sit on. We teachers set the stools out before circle time. As the children are invited to come to circle time, they look for their names.
(Read more about our circle time.)
Birthday wall:
At the start of the school year there is a crown above each child’s labeled name.
As we celebrate a birthday, the crown is removed. The children are always checking to see whose birthday is next.
Activities Using Our Names
Sign-in sheet:
When our 3 year olds arrive each morning, they find their name on a clipboard and draw a line from left to right. Eventually some will start writing some letters or their entire names.
Name puzzles:
Our 3 year olds love this simple name puzzle activity that we do during our small groups.
Name discovery bottles:
The children placed letter beads into a bottle along with colored rice for a fun letter recognition activity.
(Read more about how we made our name discovery bottles.)
Do-a-Dots on letters:
The children press Do-a-Dots on the first letters of their names. We also will glue small pieces on letters as well as macaroni, or press stickers on them.
Stamping letters:
We offer upper and lower case letters for children to stamp letters that are in their names.
Other Activities
Cooking activities:
Items brought from home:
Every so often, we will ask the children to contribute something to an activity. In this case, we were comparing apples before making applesauce. The children found their apples by looking for their names.
(Read more about how we make applesauce.)
Valentine’s bags:
After the children make their own bags, we hang them in alphabetical order. With their parents’ help, they deliver their Valentine’s cards to each of their classmates’ bags.
More preschool name ideas: How to Learn Preschool Names with Fun Activities
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I like your idea of having the children sign themselves in! I may have to try that idea to encourage fine motor skills, name recognition, and just giving writing a try – Lord knows some of mine avoid writing like the plague.