The write start - Jennifer Hallissy 2010

What’s in the Bag?
Guidelines for the Activities

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD anyone say, “You’re so good at that, I bet you could do it with your eyes closed”? They would be referring to the fact that once you have learned something in a multisensory way, your inner awareness of how to do it is so strong you could easily do it with your vision occluded. That’s exactly how we want to teach children to write letters. We want their hands to be guided by their internal sense of each letter’s movement so that their writing flows automatically.

The best way for children to get a feel for letters is by actually feeling them. Picking them up in their hands, manipulating them, running their fingers along their lines and curves. When they do this, they are able to see them in their “mind’s eye.” Then, they are better able to visualize how to make the letters themselves.

This game reinforces that concept. And you’ll be surprised at how much concentration it takes; it’s not as easy as it looks!

MATERIALS

∗ a full set of three-dimensional alphabet manipulatives (such as alphabet puzzle pieces, or magnetic alphabet letters)

∗ medium-sized opaque drawstring bag

∗ blindfold or handkerchief (optional)

HOW-TO

1. Put the alphabet letters in the bag and pull the drawstring snug.

2. Show your kids how to loosen the drawstring, then shut their eyes and slip one hand into the bag. (No peeking! You might have to use a blindfold for persistent peekers.)

3. Tell them to identify something in the bag using only their sense of touch. Have them say what they think it is out loud before they pull it out of the bag.

4. Kids can double-check themselves by pulling out the letter and seeing whether they got it right (if they did, keep the letter out of the bag and try some others). If they didn’t get it right, they can put the letter back in and try it again on another turn.

Variations

For Scribblers: Even Scribblers who don’t know their letters yet can start learning to tune in to their sense of touch. Start by putting a few simple objects (like a key, a ball, a crayon, a shell, or a spoon) into the bag and see if they can identify the items without looking at them.

For Spellers: Kids who are just learning their letters will love this game, provided you take their novice status into account. Start out by placing only two letters in the bag at a time. Choose letters that they know well and that have dissimilar shapes (A and O, for example). Follow the instructions as described above. As a variation, make a specific request, such as, “Find the A.”

For Storytellers: Hide letters in the bag that, when combined, spell a simple word your Storyteller knows well. Have them reach in, feel, and guess each letter. When they have figured out all the letters and taken them out of the bag, encourage them to arrange and rearrange them until they discover the secret word.

For Scholars: Scholars are ready for a challenge. Toss all twenty-six letters into the bag and let them rummage about until they find one they can identify. You can even turn this into a game with several players. Each player reaches into the bag and tries to feel and find a letter. If they get it right, they keep the letter. If they mistake one letter for another, they place it back in the bag. The bag gets passed from one player to the next until there are no more letters left inside. The player who has accumulated the most letters by the end of the game is the winner.