Beginning With Names: Using Children's Names To Facilitate Early Literacy Learning

Childhood Education, Spring 2005 by Kirk, Elizabeth W, Clark, Patricia

"That's my name!" calls 3-year-old Jason as he points to the letter "J" in an alphabet book. "It's my name too!" asserts Jessica, who is sitting next to Jason. Neither child seems concerned that they have chosen the same symbol to represent two different names. They do not yet know that their names each contain a distinct set of letters. However, both children recognize that "J" is the beginning letter in their names; this recognition is a beginning understanding that written symbols can be used to represent names and words.

Names hold great meaning for children and are, for many, the first word they learn to recognize by sight. Children have a great interest in learning to write their names as well as the names of their family and friends. Adults working with young children can take advantage of this interest to introduce a variety of early literacy concepts. In fact, almost every language skill necessary to learning to read can be introduced by using children's names (Seefeldt & Galper, 2001).

Children have very personal, emotional connections to their own names. An 18-month-old who is beginning to talk and scribble sometimes connects his/her own name to the scribbles that are being produced and begins to associate marks on paper to his/her own name (see photo A). Three-year-old children, while looking at books or signs along the roadside, often shout out "That's my name" when they see the letter that is at the beginning of their own name, just as Jessica and Jason did in the scenario above. A young preschool child typically recognizes and labels the initial letter of his own first name before recognizing and labeling other letters (Treiman & Broderick, 1998), and will make attempts to write his own name and those of his family and friends before acquiring general alphabet and word knowledge (Bloodgood, 1999).

Occasionally, children learn to write other words before they write their own name (Martens, 1999), but it is more common that the first word they attempt to write is some part of their own name (Clay, 1975; Green, 1998). Written names often become more important to children when they are engaged in a school experience and see their own name and other children's names being used frequently for functional purposes (Dyson, 1984; Martens, 1999).

Bloodgood (1999) found that names serve "an ongoing role, helping children make connections to letters, words, sounds, and reading and writing concepts" (p. 364). Using children's own names to help beginning readers and writers make connections between letters and sounds has been a practice of preschool and kindergarten teachers for many years. It is extremely important that early childhood educators, while advancing children's literacy skills, maintain a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Activities that use children's own names provide a natural, easy approach to helping children understand functions of print, increasing their phonemic awareness, introducing letter-sound correspondence (the alphabetic principle), and fostering letter and word recognition.

Learning the Functions of Print by Using Names for a Purpose

Children's names are used often in a classroom. Teachers/caregivers can take advantage of this practice to point out names to children, emphasize the purpose of the names, and encourage children to recognize their own names.

Create Name Lists for a Purpose. Often, a teacher will create a list that indicates who is waiting for a turn at the computer or to play with the rocket ship. Why not make the waiting list visible? Post the list where children can see it and refer to it as they try to determine whose turn it is.

Job Lists. Children's names are often posted to show who is assigned certain tasks for the day, such as feeding the fish and watering the plants.

Sign-in/Attendance. Allow children to sign themselves in each day. If children arrive individually, parents and/or teachers can help children find their names on the sign-in list and the child can make a mark, draw a picture, or write his/her name to indicate presence. If all of the children arrive at once, they can be given individual slips of paper on which to write their names. Children can take these slips of paper to different areas of the room where they have time and space to sign the slips. The completed sign-in slips can be placed in an "in" tray or on an attendance sheet. Another option is to create an attendance list on a big chart. For younger children, pictures can be posted next to their names. Have children mark themselves in with crayons or stickers on the attendance chart.

Name Labels. Children's cubbies are usually labeled with their names. For younger children, teachers/caregivers can add a photo next to the name, helping children to recognize each other's names, as well as their own.

Names on Children's Work. Teachers can encourage children to write their own names on artwork they have done, rather than always relying on an adult to do it. When children have completed a painting or drawing, ask if they would like to put their own name on the paper. If they resist, ask if they would like you to write their name.