Color Word Recognition and Beginning Sounds

Squares.

Lots of them.  Enough for several more activities just like the one I'm going to show you today.  I think, after today, it's time to retire the squares for a little while.  The kids are tired of them.  I'm tired of them.  And I bet you guys are tired of them.

However, we did use them for a cool little project yesterday afternoon.  Kind of a whim, really.  I was thinking about our first project last week and the idea of making a mosaic.  And suddenly I was like, how have we not made an actual picture yet?  We've done patterns and numbers, but not a still life or anything along those lines.

Of course!  

So I whipped up this little printable and sat the kiddos down.  I quickly realized (as in, within the first 2 minutes) that this was a project for Natalie.  The time commitment and concentration were way beyond what my little 3 year old is capable of and I dismissed him to go play almost immediately.  This is perfect for 4 year olds and up, especially beginning readers.

Materials:

1. Color Word Beginning Sounds Graph Page and Code Page (free download)
2. construction paper squares
3. glue

Process:

This activity couldn't be any simpler.  The first step is to go over each color word with your child.  Say the name of the word, emphasizing and pointing to the beginning sound.  Have your child repeat the words and point to the beginning sounds.  Ask him/her to name the letter each word begins with and to say the sound that that letter makes.

After you're sure your child knows the beginning sounds, turn your attention to the graph page.  Each square on the graph page has a letter inside - the first letter of one of the color words.  Have your child say the letter and the sound that the letter makes and find that letter on the code page.  This will tell him/her which color should be glued into that square.

After I got Natalie started with this part of the activity, she was able to complete the rest of it independently. With a little encouragement to keep going, that is.  After a short while, I went to the kitchen to load the dishwasher and I found (surprisingly) that she was more focused when I wasn't hovering over her.  Interesting.

It didn't take long to finish.  Here we are:

In case you can't tell, we have a flower here.  The squares are so large and it's so pixelated that it's kind of difficult to tell what it is.  To my amusement (and mild disappointment), Natalie finished the picture and was like, "Now, let's see...what do we have here...what is it, mom?"  But when I told her it was a rainbow flower, she instantly fell in love, so we're good. Whew.  Coulda gone either way.

All right, we're done.  Finished.  At the end.  No. More. Squares.  Done.

Till I come up with another way to use them, that is ;)



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