If you have a preschooler or beginning reader, this is an excellent activity for building attention, sorting skills, and fine motor skills. It seems like a very basic idea, but you would be amazed at how many young children I taught who had difficulty with this. Differentiating between letters, words, and pictures is an important pre-reading skill.
Beginning Reader Sort
Supplies:
- Old magazines or catalogs
- Scissors
- Construction paper
- Tape
- Gluestick
1) Cut words, pictures, and individual letters from an old magazine.
2) Label three pieces of construction paper: Letters, Words, and Pictures
3) Have your child pick a letter, word, or picture. Ask them, “Is this a letter? Is this a word? Is this a picture?” Have them glue it to the correct sheet of paper with a gluestick
I made this an active review game by placing the cut-outs on one table, the glue on another table, and the papers on the opposite wall. The girls had to move from place to place. I also had my six year old read the words as she glued them on the wall. My four year old had to make the sounds of the letters when she glued them up!
Extension:
Instead of sorting by letter, word, and picture, try sorting by:
- Vowels and consonants
- Color words and number words
- Colors, numbers, and shapes
- Numbers and letters
The possibilities are endless!
Linking up with Homeschool Creations: Preschool Corner.
Tara H says
Thanks for sharing this idea! I’m going to use it soon!