Learning to read and write your name are key pre-K skills, and ones which I know Travis’s teachers are going to emphasize this year. He has name recognition down, but writing it himself is a bit harder. Before school starts tomorrow (!) we made writing practice fun, working on his name in three different ways.

First, tear two strips of paper – colored construction paper made this more exciting than standard white.

Going one letter at a time, I spelled out Travis’s name, and had him copy each letter after me. This was really useful so I could see which letters came easier (T, v) and which were a bit of a struggle (a, s).

Then we upped the ante with a little bit of sensory play. Squirt out fingerpaints (or shaving cream even!) onto paper or another surface, and make a nice smeared frame that you can write in.

Travis used the handle of a paintbrush to trace each letter this time. He got a bit frustrated since not all of the letters showed up clearly, but here was my example version:

Finally, chalk! This method was his favorite of the three, and once again I wrote each letter first, then had him fill in underneath.

Not only did this reinforce handwriting, but also the order that the letters of his name go in.

What other fun ways does your preschooler practice writing his or her name? Please share in the comments!