You probably remember doing body tracing activities when you were a kid. But do you know how to target cognitive skills while doing this simple activity with your child?
Targeting Vocabulary - Body Parts and Colors
Body tracing is a great way to work on vocabulary words. Label each part of the body, and write out the words. Ask your child to point to or label different parts of their body. Older children can use inventive spelling to write out each body part. Help your child spell by sounding the word out with them. Remember: Inventive spelling isn't about spelling the word right. It is about practicing mapping speech sounds (phonemes) to written symbols (graphemes). You can also have your child label the colors they are using, or colors on their own bodies (clothing, eyes, hair, etc.). Have them try to match crayon colors to the colors on their own bodies.
Letter Learning and Phonemic Awareness
Phonemic awareness is the ability to discern and manipulate speech sounds (phonemes)(1), and serves as one of the prerequisite skills for fluent reading according to research compiled by the National Reading Panel. If this group is not familiar to you, the most important thing to know about it is that it included prominent reading researchers who developed evidence based guidelines for the instruction of reading. These guidelines remain the basis for literacy instruction to this day.
As noted in the section above, you can use this activity to work with your child on isolating speech sounds and building phonemic awareness.
One way to do this is to do the following for each part of the body you have traced:
You can build on this activity further by having your child repeat the sound and tell you what letter matches it. Or, give the child a word (head, arm, etc.) and have them tell you the first sound.
Older children can be asked to match all the sounds for words to letters/letter combination. Remember, the point is encouraging inventive spelling. Your child doesn't need to spell the words correctly! Write each letter as you are sounding it out (or as you are saying the letter name). Older children can write the letter themselves.
As noted in the section above, you can use this activity to work with your child on isolating speech sounds and building phonemic awareness.
One way to do this is to do the following for each part of the body you have traced:
- The "H" sound for head
- The "A" sound for arm
- The "F" for foot,
- And so on.
You can build on this activity further by having your child repeat the sound and tell you what letter matches it. Or, give the child a word (head, arm, etc.) and have them tell you the first sound.
Older children can be asked to match all the sounds for words to letters/letter combination. Remember, the point is encouraging inventive spelling. Your child doesn't need to spell the words correctly! Write each letter as you are sounding it out (or as you are saying the letter name). Older children can write the letter themselves.
Fine Motor Skills
By using writing utensils such as crayons to color, children work on building their fine motor skills. Scribbling and coloring practice also builds the foundation of later writing skills.
Amazing products your little one will love for this activity
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These are products we have used and love, and are happy to share with our readers!
These are products we have used and love, and are happy to share with our readers!
Low Cost Option for the Littlest Learners:
Crayola Jumbo Crayons These crayons are excellent for the smallest hands who are just learning to scribble. They are extra wide and difficult to break.
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Great Option for Parents Who Prefer All Natural Products:
Honeysticks 100% Pure Beeswax Crayons Honeysticks crayons are an amazing natural option for families whose children still put everything in their mouths. We love their bright, vivid colors and they are the perfect size for little hands.
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Low Cost Option for Older Learners:
Crayola Ultra-Clean Washable Large Crayons These crayons are still large enough for toddler hands, but smaller than the jumbo size, making them a good option for little ones who are still too young to have fine motor control over traditional sized crayons.
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REFERENCES:
(1) Yopp, H. K. (1992). Developing Phonemic Awareness in Young Children. Reading Teacher, 45, 9, 696-703.
(1) Yopp, H. K. (1992). Developing Phonemic Awareness in Young Children. Reading Teacher, 45, 9, 696-703.
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