- name cards (2 sets)
- stickers (optional)
MA Standards:
Speaking and Listening/SL.PK.MA.1a: Observe and use appropriate ways of interacting in a group (e.g., taking turns in talking, listening to peers, waiting to speak until another person is finished talking, asking questions and waiting for an answer, gaining the floor in appropriate ways).
Foundational Skills/RF.PK.MA.3.c: Recognize one’s own name and familiar common signs and labels (e.g., STOP).
Head Start Outcomes:
Social Emotional Development/Self-Regulation: Follows simple rules, routines, and directions.
Language Development/Receptive Language: Attends to language during conversations, songs, stories, or other learning experiences.
PreK Learning Guidelines:
English Language Arts/Language 1: Observe and use appropriate ways of interacting in a group (taking turns in talking; listening to peers; waiting until someone is finished; asking questions and waiting for an answer; gaining the floor in appropriate ways).
English Language Arts/Reading and Literature 12: Listen to, recite, sing, and dramatize a variety of age-appropriate literature.
Greeting Song: “Here We Are Together” #3
© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.
ELA Focus Skills: Name Recognition, Phonological Awareness
Begin the day with a song to help children recognize their names in print and to understand that they are an important part of the group.
Before singing, give each child his or her name card. Hold up a name card from your matching set of name cards and say,
- Let’s match letters to see whose name am I holding up. Help children match the letters. Repeat with several more cards, then tell children that you will sing a song.
- Say, When you hear your name, hold your name card up high.
- Sing “Here We Are Together,” if needed, point to each child as you sing his or her name. Invite children to sing along with you.
Here We Are Together
(sung to the tune of “Have You Ever Seen a Lassie?”)
Here we are together,
together, together.
Here we are together,
together again.
Here’s <child's name> and <child's name>
and <child's name> and <child's name>.
Yes, here we are together,
together again.
Social Emotional Tip: Begin the day with a name song to help children gain self-recognition and a feeling of self-importance.
Adaptation: For groups with children of varying ages, you may want to challenge older children by spelling out their names. For example, say, I have a card with J-i-m-m-y on it. Whose name is spelled J-i-m-m-y?
Adaptation: For children struggling to recognize their name in print, you may want to add a matching sticker on each set of name cards, so children can match the sticker image while recognizing the letters in their name.