Materials
- laminated pictures of animals
- clear contact paper or laminating machine
- scissors (adult use only)
- permanent marker
Preparation
- Laminate the pictures of animals that you wish to use. The animals may relate to a certain category, such as farm, zoo, or wild animals. It is good to use larger pictures, laminate them, and then cut them in half.
- Take a permanent marker and write the animal word on the two halves; for instance "cat" would have a "c" on the body and "at" on the head.
What to Do
1. Gather the children in a circle or group. Spread all the pieces of the animal pictures around the floor where all the children can see them.
2. Pick up one picture piece and ask the children to try to guess what animal it is, saying the word.
3. Choose a child to come up to find the other part of the animal by looking for both the body part and part of the word.
4. When the child finds both halves of the animal, place the animal together and sound out the animal's name with the children.
Teacher - to - Teacher Tips
- This activity can work as a matching game.
- Sometimes a lot of conversation about the animals takes place, so allow for extra time.
Assessment
Consider the following:
- Are the children able to make the letter sounds and form the animal's name?
- Can the children match the animal parts to make a whole animal?
-Eileen Lucas, Fort McMurray, Alberto, Canada
Instructions
* Display each beanbag animal toy with a number card.
* Take a photograph of each animal "holding" a number card.
* Print the photographs on regular copy paper or photo paper. If desired, laminate
the photographs or place each one inside a plastic sleeve for durability.
What to Do
1. Display the photographs down the length of the wall near the floor.
2. Set the collection of animals and number cards in a basket near the
photo display.
3. Invite the children to read the numbers on the photo display, in order from
1 to 10.
4. Invite a child to set each animal beneath the matching photo.
5. Have the child place the number cards with the matching animals, as displayed
in the photographs.
6. Invite the child to count from 1 to 10 as he "pets" each animal on display.
7. Invite the child to show his work to another classmate or the teacher then
put the materials away for the next child.
Assessment
Consider the following:
* Hold the photographs in a stack on your lap. Display one photo at a time in
random order. Invite a child to find the matching animal and set the matching
number with the animal.
* Invite a pair of children to work together to sequence the number cards in
order, set the photographs next to each matching number card, and then
place the correct animal near each numeral.
