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Creative Teaching Useful tips and suggestions from Fascinate-Educate.

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Stickers and Story Starter Webs

Usually l let children choose the setting, characters, and the “who, what, where, why, and when” before they begin a creative story. However, this time I decided to try something different—I chose the prewriting “set-up” for the story, but I used a couple of stickers in place of words.

The result was an instant hit! The child writing this story decided immediately that the witch, Susie, was going to be thrown a surprise party by a family of spiders for her 115th birthday. He drafted a story outline (this story is going to be five paragraphs) and he began drafting the first paragraph with gusto! I was so happy to hear him giggling to himself as he began writing the story.

I will share other ways that stickers have helped “jump-start” children’s writings in blogs to come. May you all enjoy reading your children’s creative stories!

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Top Ten Things to do with Tactile Letters

Here are some ways to use tactile letters to teach the alphabet to your child (an example is pictured at the bottom; click to enlarge):

1. Spread the letters out (on a table or the floor) and ask your child to say the name of each letter.
2. Spread the letters out and ask your child to say the sound(s) each letter makes.
3. Spread the letters out and help your child trace the letters with his/her index finger. (Trace the letter the way you would write it on paper.)
4. Spread the letters out and ask your child to make words with the letters. (Use simple words that can be “sounded out”.)
5. Spread the letters out and say a letter. Ask you child to hand you the letter you said.
6. Ask your child to grab his/her favorite book. Spread the letters out and pick up a letter. Ask your child to “go for a hunt” in the book for all the letters that are the same as the one you picked up. (This is a great way to teach children about different fonts!)
7. Spread the letters out then ask your child to close his/her eyes and pick up a letter. On a piece of paper, ask your child to write the letter as fast, as slow, as small, and as large as he/she can.
8. Spread the letters out and pick up a letter. Ask your child to “hunt for things” around your house that begin with that letter.
9. Spread the letters out and ask your child to pick up a letter. Then ask him/her to write the lower-case letter for the upper-case or vice versa.
10. Point out the letters that you played with at home on billboards, menus, road signs, etc. when you go out.

There are many ways to make your own tactile letters. You can use foam letters hot-glued to cardstock squares or tactile stickers attached to foam squares. Whatever you choose to make the tactile letters, make sure they are large enough and safe enough for your young ones. (I can’t stand the thought of any child getting hurt!)

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