This week we are putting your children center stage with Star of the Day Activities. We are going to focus on learning about your children, making them feel special by being the “star of the day” and designating a special wall just for them and focusing on literacy activities to build name, letter and sound recognition. My children have been beaming with pride and going to sleep with smiles on their faces. They love “I’m a Star Day”!
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AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT ENHANCED BY STAR OF THE DAY ACTIVITIES
name recognition
alphabet recognition
emotional development (self-esteem, confidence)
artistic expression
literacy development
fine motor skills
listening skills
public speaking
This week is all about making your children feel special! Pick a day for your child to be the star of the day. If you have more than one child then each child gets their own day. The day before your child’s special day let him know that the following day is all about him. On my children’s star days they got to choose the breakfast and dinner and an activity for the day. If you are doing this in a classroom setting perhaps the child could choose one of the choice time activities or the songs you sing in circle time. I cut out a star from construction paper and wrote the child’s name on it. My kids really enjoyed wearing these. Part of the goal of this week is for your child to receive ample opportunities to see her name. Not only does this make your child feel good, but it builds name recognition.
INTERVIEWS ARE ONE OF THE STAR OF THE DAY ACTIVITIES
After breakfast we sat in a circle with the “star person” sitting in a chair. We interviewed the person. My kids loved this! This is a great activity to make the star of the day feel extra special while practicing speaking in front of a group, listening, turn taking and demonstrating knowledge through drawing and writing. Begin by having the star of the day sit in a chair while everyone else sits in a circle. If you only have one child you can still do this set up or sit at a table together. Give each person the opportunity to ask the star questions about herself. Adults get to ask questions too! What is your favorite color? asked Charlotte. What is your favorite smell? asked Quinn.
INTERVIEW DRAWINGS
After everyone has asked questions give each person the opportunity to draw a picture of one things they learned about the star. If your child is independently writing he can write a sentence to go with the picture or you can write a sentence for your child. Dictations are a necessary component of early literacy skills.
Add the pictures to your child’s Star Wall.
STAR CROWNS ARE ONE OF THE STAR OF THE DAY ACTIVITIES
Next up we made very simple name crowns. The two main goals of this week- make your child feel special and give exposure to name and letter recognition- are combined in this easy craft activity.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE STAR CROWNS
colored construction paper
tape/stapler
markers/crayons
stickers/sequins/pom poms (optional)
HOW TO MAKE STAR CROWNS
Prior to beginning this activity make the crowns for your children. Tape together the short ends of two pieces of paper. Cut out triangles at the top of the paper to create a zig zag top to the crown. Cut about 3 inches off the other side of the crown. In large letters write your child’s name. There are different philosophies on whether to initially teach your child using all uppercase letters or to begin with uppercase and lowercase. I choose to teach uppercase and lowercase at the same time when writing my children’s names.
Lay the crowns flat on a table so that your children can easily decorate them.
Once your child is finished wrap the crown around her head to create the correct size and then secure the end together with tape or staples. A star is born!
CHECK OUT THESE ADDITIONAL STAR OF THE WEEK ACTIVITIES
Name Scramble Literacy Activity
Cardboard People Art Activity
STAR WALLS DISPLAYS THE STAR OF THE WEEK ACTIVITIES
Your little stars deserve their own walls! Make your child feel special by designating a special part of your house just for her! On simple construction paper I wrote “Quinn is a Star” and taped it to the wall. I printed out a large photo of each of my children and displayed that with the sign. The interview drawings and each child’s cardboard me also received a special place on the wall. My children adore walking into the room and seeing their faces and hard work. A simple yet powerful way to declare to your child you are important to this family.
Life with three kids so close in age is chaotic. My children soaked up the opportunity to be the most important person of the day. My other children happily took the opportunity to make that star child feel special. We all really enjoyed this experience and this experience solidified an important lesson as a parent. The most important gift we can give our children is time and attention.
