Language
Week 48
We are learning to write our names
Language is a non-instinctive system of spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by which human beings express ideas, emotions, and desires. Language is a huge part of the preciousness of our humanity. Animal communication is the transfer of information by sounds, scents and motions from the sender to the receiver that affects current behavior. It can impact future behavior, too. It is generally instinctive.
Point to emphasize
You will soon be able to write so many words!
References
See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand. (Galatians 6:11)
[Before this meeting, each child needs to have a dark-colored crayon and a piece of paper. Each child will also need the template on colored paper which includes shapes—rectangles and half circles. Cut them out ahead of time.]
P-B5-W48-TEMPLATE-We-are-learning-to-write-our-names
Sample content and conversation with children:
- Today we are going to see how to form letters.
- [Start the conversation by showing a crayon.] Can anyone tell me what this is? [Let the children answer.] Yes, it is a crayon! What do we use a crayon for? [Wait for the children to respond.] Right! We use crayons to draw and to write.
- Now let’s all use our crayon together! I want you all to draw just one line on your paper. [Show an example on the paper or whiteboard.] Can you all show us your line? Perfect! Now, let’s all draw a half circle [Show an example.] Wow, you did it! When we learn to write letters, all we need to know is how to draw lines and half circles! Some of you may already be able to draw shapes, like triangles, and write some letters, like A-B-C. Soon you will all learn how to write every letter of your name! That’s wonderful! And we will all be able to learn how to write our names because God created us so that we can do it!
- Because we are all learners, we can learn how to build letters even when we have not learned how to write them. Let’s have fun together! Daddy or Mommy should have ready for you rectangles and half circles. We will use these to build letters together. Let’s all do letter A together. Then, we will try the letter B and finally the letter C. [Show picture #1 and then have everyone point their camera device down to show the letters they’ve built.] You can even cut out more rectangles and half circles to form your whole name later!
- It is wonderful that we can build letters! Very soon, you all will be able to use your pencil and write not only the letters A-B-C, but you will be able to write your name! You will also be able to write a little note to someone. We can communicate to others using so many words. We can write what we feel and what we want to say to others. We can write and draw what’s in our hearts and make someone really happy! You can draw something and give it to your parents! [Show picture #2]
- Elephants can be trained to hold a brush with their trunk to draw. But they don’t know what they are drawing. They have been trained to make different brush strokes. It is like any other trick they have been trained to do. No animal has ever written their name. They were not made with the ability to do this.
- But God made us in such an incredible way that we can use our brains and our hands and fingers to write our name and so many words! Thank You God for making us this way!
Suggested songs
Hold out your hands! Aren’t they wonderful
You can train a dog
Suggested activities
- Have children roll out playdough into a rope (not a snake). Then have them use that roll to place it on top of the letters A, B, and C in capital letters that you draw out for them. [Picture #3]
- Besides playdough, they can also glue beans, pasta, or rice on their name in capital letters that you draw out for them. [Picture #4]
Pictures
#1: A B C built with rectangles and half-circles
#2: Drawing for mom
#3: A B C with playdough
#4: A B C with beans, pasta, and rice
