Hello hardworking early educators, here is the Literacy Vitamin for the week.
ELA Monthly Pacing Guide: February/March
Domain: Fine Motor, Drawing, and Writing: physical development and the mechanics of writing and print concepts
Children will practice writing letters, numbers and words
Teachers will model using stencils, letter tracing, word cards, itegrating focus letter and key vocabulary
To make letters children need to be able to cross the midline and make vertical, horizontal and diagonal strokes and curves. Stencils are a great vehicle to practice these skills and offer children a high level of success. A clipboard to hold both the paper and stencil eliminates the need to hold the stencil in place, instead the child can focus on slowing tracing inside the stencil.
Start with a small collection of stencils that can be made of plastic or sturdy card. The stencils reinforce the 3 focus letters they had recently cycled through: H h-house, T t-tree and F f-fish. The vocabulary is printed on index card with a simple image (stickers or clip art work great!).
Extensions:
- If child can do a few of these, make them into a book.
- Cut out the stencil, glue on a new piece of paper to create a story: The pink fish swims in the ocean.
Modifications:
Teach the scaffolding phrase, “bump the line (or edge)” to keep child’s hand moving around the stencil.
Children can work on their belly on the rug.
Use smaller stencils.