Encourage Writing Old School Style

I have searched and searched for one of these.  My kids had never laid eyes on one before but the day I brought it home and rolled some paper into it the fell in love.  After they explored the functions, the writing began.  My oldest sat down to write a letter to a friend while my middle typed his name.   If you have one of these in your garage or run across a working one for cheap, you'll be glad for bringing it out or bringing it home.

DIY Literacy Projects

ABC & 123: Alphabet Crafts are fun.

Make Spelling Bean Bags with Chez Beeper Bebe
Fun Ways to Learn Spelling Words with Teach Momma

Little Page Turners' shows us that Dinosaurs Begin with "D"
The Work Plan makes a craft for A Very Busy Spiders
Experience Muffin Tin Monday with How to do...Something.

 Create Alphabet T-Shirt Creations with CroqZine
A is for Apple Pie over at Quirky Momma
Cutest Doodle Rubbings Ever at This Little Project

DIY Literacy Projects

Celebrate the Alphabet with ABC and 123

A fun way to play with books over at Chez Beeper Bebe

Oh the Places You'll Go Free Printable by 74 Lime Lane

 Inferring Tips During Read-Alouds by Teach Mama
Fall Themed Book and Activity with A Mommy's Adventures
Try these Letter of the Day activities with Pocketful of Posies

Raising Itty-Bitty Bookworms has GREAT Literature-Units
Fire Safety and the Letter "F" with Preschool Playbook
Visit MeMeTales and Read Children's Books for Free.

DIY Literacy Projects

Free Printable Alphabet for little ones by Live and Enliven

Make a Flash Card pouch with How To Do Something
CroqZine shows us how to make a sweet Alphabet Necklace

Embroider an Alphabet with Orange Flower
Make a Fox for your next story telling from Cut out and Keep
Try this Alphabet Card Display with Gray Matters

 Try an Apple Seed "A" with I Can Teach My Child.
Try Story Cubes with QuirkyMomma
Play Alphabet Matching with Plastic Eggs by This Little Project

DIY Literacy Projects

Try Calligraphy Alphabet with Craftside

Free Printable Alphabet Bunting with Ruffled

Kitchen DoughDough has a great Alphabet Party idea.

 Give a go with Greek Letter Blocks by Quercus Design

QuirkyMomma makes Alphabet Pretzels!

Make an Alphabet Puzzle Stamp with BookHouCrafts

 Put together a Paper Alphabet Quilt with The Stories of A to Z
Make magnetic alphabet blocks with PlumPudding
Make Chipboard Alphabet Cards with Floralshowers

DIY Literacy Projects

I Can Teach My Child makes a super cute zip-lock baby book.

QuirkyMomma has a brilliant cootie catch word game.

Another amazing version of the Alphabet Train.

Make easy alphabet pillows with Craft Nest

Craft these Homemade Alphabet Blocks with Jeredith
Homemade Finger Print Cards with Smashed Peas and Carrots are adorable.

 Try this Watercolor Alphabet with Art Projects for Kids
Make an Alphabet Notebook with Journal of a Home Education
Print a free Alphabet Poster from Sprik Space

Make A Book With Your Children

I think we all have memories of growing up.  Vacations we've taken with our families, holidays, etc.  I also have memories of things I made.  Kids like to create.  So today, as I was home schooling my girls, I had an idea for my struggling reader.  I'm going to have her make her own book.  She is going to draw the pictures and even help create the story.  If I make sure to put it in words she can read, maybe this would encourage her to want to read.  After all, it will be her creation.

It doesn't have to be anything fancy.  If all you have is some construction paper and crayons, that is fine.  Give them some ideas for a story line.  A pet, grandparents, their birthday.  Let them choose and see if it doesn't peak an interest into the wonderful world of reading.

Practice Name Writing

Writing names can be easy.  The trick is to wait until your little one is ready and willing.  When your child has a good sense of self and recognizes the purpose of letters, it's probably time to give it a try.    This was Evan's first attempt at writing his name with my help.  We used simple straight lines and circles and practiced each letter individually before attempting the whole name. 

 

The next important step is to give your child the feeling of success for the first attempts at writing.  Little ones love high fives, encouraging comments and displaying their efforts on the proudest display of all...the fridge.  Children don't need lined paper to start with and the casual freedom of blank paper is perfect for beginners.

DIY Literacy Projects

It's Marthapalooza!

Martha Stewart has some craft ideas that promote literacy too.  Check out what we found.

Print these Notebook Labels

Make your own Textbook Covers

Make Mini-Pocket Books 

 Make Books within Books
Put Letters on your Eggs
Make Iced Letter Cookies

 Give Secret Codes a try 
Letters Become Art
Letter Writing Applies to kids too, put together this kit for your little ones.

DIY Literacy Projects

Do Letter Matching Eggs with More Mom Time

Go on an Alphabet Scavenger Hunt with Kids Craft Weekly

Activities for Brown Bear, Brown Bear by This Little Project

T is for Trading Post over at Preschool Daze
Try Sponge Painting with First Palette
Make a Nifty Thrifty Crayon Holder with Spotted Canary

 Make an ABC pillow with Martha
Put together a Peanut Butter Sandwich Mini-Book with Spotted Canary.
Make Your Own Flashcards with Our Family Projects

DIY Literacy Projects

Make Your Own Alphabet Poster with Craft Projects

Make Alphabet Pancakes with Quirky Momma

Make and Alphabet Book with Make and Takes

Practice Learning with Letters at TotalClassCreative
Momtastic has a free Word Building Game online.
Try Tile Printing with Let the Children Play

Make your own Write and Trace Place-mats with No Time for Flashcards
Put your Lazy Susan to Work with The Write Start
Make Your Own Stamps with Filth Wizardry

DIY Literacy Projects

Pre-Kpages has a great letter sounds activity.

Take a look at this Literacy Center with CELC Room Daled

Create an ABC Notebook with 1+1+1=1

Here are some Alphabet Activities for Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Here's an idea...make letters with pretzels.
Try this Moveable Alphabet with Amongst Lovely Things.

Try this activity using alphabet bags
Make Language Work More Exciting with Objects
Try Letter Matching to help with visual recognition.

DIY Literacy Projects

Learn how to do a Pamphlet Stitch wit DIY Kids for book making.

Do an Eric Carle Collage with Art Lessons for Kids

Here's a Harold and the Purple Crayon Project with ThinkPlayCreate

 Make a Canvas Letter Wall Art with Pursuit of Craftyness
Make an Amazing Alphabet Book with Just for Fun
Make Coffee Filter Books with Let's Explore

Language Arts is made fun for Tactile Learners with Helpful WV Homemaker.
eHow has a great video on Preschool Writing Activities
Simply Montessori shares Sand Trays and other Fun Ways to Prewrite

DIY Literacy Projects

Alphabet Book Project with Pottery Barn Kids

Go on an Alphabet Scavenger Hunt with Unplug Your Kids

Tips for Teaching Your Child the Alphabet with Today's Motherhood

Traceable Stationary for Kids at Craftzine is perfect for writing.

Quilited ABC Fun with ctpubblog looks "sew" amazing and crafty.

Tactile Letter Fun for kids with Artists Helping Children

Find amazing Felt Alphabet Letters at Fab Mums

Try this Alphabet Magnet Tutorial by Modern Quilt Love

Buy this beautiful fabric ABC Book by Pilosale

Do you have an Alphabet or Literacy Project you'd like to share.  Submit it HERE.

DIY Literacy Projects

The Write Start has an adorable idea for early journal writing.

Write in Color with Imagination Soup.

Print TONS of Bookplates at My Home Library.

Model Magic Letters are fun to make with Simple Kids.

Make Alphabet Soup with Katherine Marie

Create an Alphabet Book with Let's Explore

Create a Word Wall with HomeSpun Threads

Create a Literature Inspired Bedroom with How Does She?

Paint Alphabet or Word Rocks with Creative Star Learning

National Play-Dough Day Literacy Activities

Did you know that today is National Play-Dough?  Well, it is!  So, we have found some literacy activities involving play-dough

Sparkle Box has free Play-Dough Mat downloads you can laminate.

PreKinders has a literacy activity that involves Jan Brett and Play-Dough

Early Literacy Connection uses Play-Dough letter cutters

 MyPlaySchool featured an article, Learning with Playdough
Squidoo has a great list of Playdough Activities.
September Sensory Tub with Playdough by Counting Coconuts.

Katie's Nesting Spot shares her really cool idea with Playdough Stampers
Here is a recipe for Rubbery Playdough over at eHow
Make Letter Shapes in Playdough with Quirky Momma

DIY Literacy Projects

ABC Matching Game with Kaboose looks fun.

ABC Paper Chain by Free Kids Crafts

ABC Soup Collage with Sherri Osborn

Make a Alphabet Coconut Tree with First Palette

ABC Letter Lacing with The Best Kids Book

Activity Village has a free download for a Alphabet Matching Game

Make a Code Maker & Breaker from Crayola

Make a really cool Giant Alphabet Bag with First Palette

Letter Sound Identification with Toddler Craft