Letter and sound recognition are essential skills for the beginning reader. Encourage your young child to learn about the letter ‘W’ by creating a wonderful, winter-inspired work of art. She'll wander around the house, looking for wacky, woolly, or wild white objects that can be constructed into a collage. It's perfect for teaching the very young child about some basic art processes, such as cutting and gluing.
What You Need:
- Cardboard
- Craft glue or glue stick
- Scissors
- Variety of white materials (these may be found around the home, and might include doilies, paper towels, fabric scraps, felt scraps, pipe cleaners, pieces of paper, tissue paper, wrapping paper, cotton balls, or yarn)
What You Do:
- Initiate a discussion about the letter ‘W" with your child. Ask her to draw the letter ‘W’ on a piece of paper, and then make a sound for the letter. Help her to think of words that begin with the letter. Finally, ask her what color begins with the letter ‘W’ (white).
- Ask your child to name a season that begins with the letter "W" (winter). Discuss the winter weather and snow. Talk about what color the snow is.
- Now, for the fun part! Invite her to go on a scavenger hunt for items that are winter white. These can be art materials purchased at a craft store or regular household objects such as cotton balls or a paper towel.
- Have her cut or tear the objects into different shapes and sizes.
- Help her to arrange the white objects onto the cardboard, and then glue them onto the cardboard securely.
- Once dry, discuss the collage. Make sure to ask her questions about winter, the color white, and the letter "W."
Extend this type of activity into other letters! Stick with a color and letter theme, or try another letter-based concept such as animals or places. Consider having your child cut out the letters from magazines or newspapers to add to the collage.
By Erica Loop
Erica Loop has a MS in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education. She has many years of teaching experience working in early childhood education, and as an arts educator at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh.
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