When I taught Pre-K and Kindergarten, I created 'class directories' each year. The kids used these mostly in the writing center when they wrote letters to one another (or to me). The little girl in the picture wrote me an interesting letter about unicorns and then used the directory to spell my name on the front of the envelope. For some reason, Hughes (my last name) is impossible for anyone under the age of 40 to spell... and for anyone under 6 to say.
This is so easy and cheap to make. Also, the kids are obsessed with looking at themselves and each other.
Hobby Lobby $4.99
How to make one:
1. Get a small photo album like the one to the left.
2. Take pictures (head shots) of your kids.
3. Use adjacent pages for each student (like mine pictured
above). Picture on one side and their name on the other.
4. Put it in your writing center (or another prominent place).
Obviously the kids have their names on the desks and other places around the room, but this little book was perfect for the writing center. It stayed in one spot all year. The kids didn't wander around the room looking for names or bothering other students to ask them how to spell their name. Perfect!Other ideas:
- use a binder with page protectors
- make a laminated one (I used a photo album because it held up all year... got used a lot)
- add more information (birthday, siblings, pets, favorite color/food/etc., or more personalized info
- use sentence strips to write the names or print them out (I wanted the lines because it reinforced proper handwriting)
- I took headshots of each of my students against a white wall and used these same pictures for this project, my files, and other things throughout the year.
Have fun making your own!