Name Recognition in our Classroom

It is such a joy to prepare materials for our classroom and recently, I have been doing exactly that!  In fact, I just returned from a morning at school preparing for our Open House and first day of school.  While I had all three of my kids with me and it became a little hectic, I was nevertheless able put some annual aspects of the environment together.  When I've made and assembled all the class lists, cubby labels, snack tags, and name tags, I know that the beginning of school is just around the corner (and it makes me smile!).

One of the first concepts a child encounters at school is name recognition.  At my school, this is encouraged and incorporated in many areas of the classroom.  As simple as it may sound however, I put a lot of thought into how this will be presented.  The main reason I have to put extra thought into this concept is because I teach cursive writing in my classroom.  Therefore, I need be sure that enough opportunities are available for the child to see their name not only in print, but also in writing (cursive). I follow a simple self-imposed rule in my classroom:  Anything I write with my own hand is in cursive and everything else is in print.

Upon entering school, a child is greeted with their name on their cubby:


Children's cubbies:  Names in print, made on Word....

Next, they see their names as they hang up their backpacks, and snow pants (later in the year), on their individual hook:



Individual hook labels made using Montessori-friendly Clip Art with names written by me - in cursive.

  Now, the child enters the classroom and 'checks-in' by sliding their name over to the right, under the tag reading, "Hello!, Check-in."  When they leave, the slide their name back over to the left under the tag which reads, "Good-bye!  Check-out."  The photo shows these tags with handwritten letters which I wrote.  Periodically, I flip these cards over where the same words have been produced in print on the computer.  The children always look to see which side it is on and love when I change it up a bit....


Check-in/Check-out Board:  Name tags created by computer (and printed on watercolor paper which I painted myself...I just couldn't find what I wanted in the stores....)

Within our Montessori work time, the children have additional opportunities for name recognition, reading, and writing.



Snack tags:  The children each have a tag to set up with their snack.  Again, the images are from Clip Art with the names written by me, so they are cursive.  The images are of typical foods we enjoy for snack, but they are also intended to stimulate conversation!  Moreover, these tags are a helpful management tool - we can tell who has had a snack or not by  placement of the tags.  Those who have finished snack place their tag in a nearby basket while those who have not remain on the shelf, as in the photo.

   Whenever a child wishes to write his name or the names of classmates, we use our basket of name tags:


Name tags for writing:  This is a material specific to writing, therefore the tags are written in cursive.  This basket is kept in a special spot in our Language area near other writing materials.

Another opportunity for name recognition includes the use of our 'place-holders'.  These tags are used throughout the mornings if someone has to leave their work for various reasons - bathroom, break, end of the morning etc. These are helpful because oftentimes, a child will be in the midst of a large activity at the end of the day and the tags provide great way to give the child an option to finish when they return to school - it also helps me remember who had the work out! ;-)  The child retrieves the tag from the basket and places it on the work space. Doing so indicates to others that he is still working on this particular lesson and will get back to it soon.


'Place-holders.'  This year we are using American flags.  Last year, we used star shapes.  I try using an eye-catching shape for these tags because they can easily be seen on a mat or table where someone is working. 

Additionally, when school begins in September, I will take a photo of each child, print their name (on computer) and birthday, and mount on cards to make a birthday graph.  This will give the children another chance to see their names in print as well as make associations with the pictures of classmates.

By allowing children these varied opportunities throughout the environment for name recognition and practice, I feel they will experience a well-balanced approach to the concept.  I would be most interested in hearing what others do in their classrooms and welcome any thoughts and ideas you may have!