Literacy jewelry : Interactive Bracelets!

Every year we do all the foundational skills like: identification and recognition of upper case and lower case letters, classification of letter sounds, sorting of words by letters.  I am spicing it up by making interactive bracelets.
So it is the same activity that I have done in the past, but when they are done, they have bracelets to wear. When I started this activity, I allowed them to wear their bracelets when we went to lunch, and other students were asking them about the letters, even the Noon Supervisors and other teachers started asking my students questions. So, they are getting prompt by everyone which is something Kindergarteners love---- the attention!

I am starting it with two letters and 4 pictures for each, in alphabetic order and upper case letters.
They are turning out very nice, and the kids are really into it. One of the moms came and ask me to send home an extra one because their little sister also wanted her own letter bracelets! How fun!


The benefits:

1. We are learning new words that start with the letters we are doing
2. We practice writing out our name 3 times
3. We are learning to color inside the lines and making it beautiful--they get better compliments!
4. We are learning to classify the letters by choosing (the upper or lower case letters) or (beginning sounds) to glue it on.
5. We are practicing cutting carefully!
6. We are learning to control how much glue we use (always a PLUS in Kindergarten!)
7. We are learning spatial spacing by bending the paper and creating the bracelets ( A mathematical concept when we do tridimensional shapes)
8. We are learning to count by holding down the bracelet and letting the glue dry ( A must to get them to count to 100 by the end of Kindergarten--Common Core Standard!)
9. Once we are done we can recall the pictures and identify the letter it starts with.
10. The kids love the attention they are getting by wearing the bracelets during school recesses and lunch.

Not bad for Paper Jewelry ---Fun Literacy!

My students now look forward to making bracelets. I was worry that the boys were not going to be into it.  I decided to introduce the whole concept as a Superpower---Super Letter Power! They all got into it. Some boys compare it to the web action like Spider man does, and they press each picture around their bracelet as if a new hidden weapon materializes to attack their nemesis! Very creative imaginations!

We finish with the Upper case, now I am introducing them to the lower case letters. Also is no longer in the alphabetical order, now we are mixing it up. By the way we are doing the Spanish bracelets in the Spanish order of letters, first with the vowels plus y, then the consonants.

During English Language Development we do our English Bracelets. So they end up with 4 bracelets some days.  They love it!

Check them out here:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literacy-Jewels-Interactive-Bracelets-1478420