Kindergarten teachers know that the beginning of the year brings in a variety of students with different skill levels. Some know their letters and sounds, some can read, and some can barely identify the letters in their own names. One thing all of these students can benefit from is practicing name activities.
Name activities in kindergarten have so many benefits and give you opportunities to teach other things with them.
This FREE PRINTABLE has five name activities that are perfect for the kindergarten classroom. After introducing each one, you can use it during:
First, download the free printable. Next, write students’ names on index cards or sentence strips. If you can, add a photo of each student. Finally, place the task cards and name cards in a pocket chart. If you don’t have a spare pocket chart, they can do these activities on the floor or a table. Easy and done!
Have students practice sorting pictures, names, or names with pictures into boys or girls. For non-reading students, you can have them start by sorting just the pictures. Then, they can move to sorting names with pictures. Finally, they can sort the names and match the pictures.
Looking for name activities for more advanced kindergarteners or to help you introduce vowels? This one is perfect for introducing vowels in kindergarten or reviewing vowels in first grade. Just have students sort names by how many vowels each one has. You can also let them match pictures to the names at the end (they always love this part!).
I love this name activity for kindergarteners to practice identifying alphabet letters. Place the “Does have the letter” card on one side of a pocket chart and the “Does not have the letter” on the other side. Then, choose the target letters you’d like students to practice. Finally, students sort the name cards.
Counting letters in a name also helps students practice one-to-one tracking, an important skill in reading. While is one of the name activities that supports all kindergarten readers, it especially can be helpful when working with non-readers. After setting up the number of letters cards, just have students sort names by the number of letters.
After you have introduced and taught syllables, use this activity to let students have hands-on practice. Just print the syllable sorting cards and let students sort names by the number of syllables. I liked to have students count syllables three different times using any of these ways:
Grab your FREE printable with all five of these name activities now. The download has:
If you want more hands-on activities to help boost your students, check these out in my shop. They are all perfect for morning work, literacy stations, reading small groups, and intervention time.
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Want to use the latest research to boost your readers during small groups? This FREE guide is packed with engaging ideas to help them grow!
I’m a K-1 teacher who is passionate about making lessons your students love and that are easy to implement for teachers. Helping teachers like you navigate their way through their literacy block brings me great joy. I am a lifelong learner who loves staying on top of current literacy learning and practices. Here, you’ll find the tools you need to move your K-2 students forward!
24 Responses
I would love to get your name activities. They are just what I’ve been looking for. I’ve put my email in twice over the last two days and haven’t gotten them sent to me yet. Is there another way to get them. Thank you!
Sent you an email just now! 🙂
Hello Amanda,
I am teaching prep this year and your site will be very useful. I tried to download the name activities for our first day of school however I never received the down load at my email address. Would you be able to please send them through to me? Thank you
Hi Karen! Not a problem! Email me at [email protected] and I’ll get them to you. 🙂
I was trying to download your free name activities but I can not find where to download them.
Hi Dawn! I just emailed you. 🙂 Let me know if you need anything else!
Hi! I would love to get your free name activities! Could you send them please? Thanks so much!
Hi Diane! They have been linked above in the blog post. Simply enter your email address and they will be delivered right away. 🙂
Hi Amanda,
The link where you put your name only gives the guided reading resources. Where can I get the name resources?
Hi Nancy! It looks like you are already on my email list so it is hiding the form from you! I’m so sorry! I have fixed it now, but I will email them to you.
Hi Nancy! I have emailed them to you!
Ive tried and tried to locate the download link for the name activities–Please Help!–Kelli
Kelli! I am so sorry! It looks like you may have already been on my email list so it was hidden from you! I’ll email them to you now. 🙂
Hi, Amanda!
I love these name activities and would love to have a copy. I have put my email in, but I haven’t received them yet. I’ve also looked for a link, but can’t find that either. Would you mind sending them to me?
Thanks so much!
Hi Lisaa! The link is corrected and working. It seems that many school browsers/servers are blocking the images from what others have told me. They can access them from home, but not from school. Give that a try!
Hello I am trying to download your free name centers and can not locate them Thank you
Hi Jenna! The link is corrected and working. It seems that many school browsers are blocking the images from what others have told me. They can access them from home, but not from school. Give that a try!
I am also on your email list so I can’t download the name activities either. Can you please email them to me.
Thanks, Michelle
Hi Michelle! The link is corrected and working. It seems that many school browsers are blocking the images from what others have told me. They can access them from home, but not from school. Give that a try!
Hi Amanda,
I would love your name activity! I can not find a link. Please, help.
Thank you,
Julie
Hi Julie! Email us at hello(A)mrsrichardsonsclass.com
Hello. I would love to get your name activities but can’t seem to find a link for them. I subscribed and confirmed my email address from the email you sent, but still am not sure where to find the name activities. Please advise. Thank you so much! Have a great school year!!
I tried to download the name activities but cannot find the link. Can you please send it. Thank you!
Hi Courtney! So sorry I missed this comment! We are happy to send it to you. Reach out to us at [email protected]