Classroom Valentine's List Ideas for Pre-K & ECSE

Thanks to all of you who are following my Task Box Countdown.  I will continue that countdown each Thursday until you all have my top task box ideas. But for now, my Tuesday posts will be sharing some tips for a successful Valentine's Day party.  

Are you getting ready to send your Valentine's list out to your class?  Have you ever thought about sending a modified list?  One that fits the needs of your students’ skill levels, so they can be more independent in doing their valentines.  

Most of my students are not able to write or read their classmates' names.  With that in mind, each year I make a picture list that my students have to cut and paste on to their valentines. 

Home Adaption:  Many parents are looking for ways to help their children with skills at home. This is a great activity for that.  Some parents are a little nervous to have their children practice cutting at home. In these cases, I share tips and strategies that help the students first learn to cut at school.  Occasionally, I will let students check out a pair of our modified loop scissors.    

Some of my students are able to write their own name legibly. For students who cannot, I provide photo labels or traceable name labels for the child to cut out and glue onto his/her  valentines.  

You can download traceable fonts online.
One of my favorites is from www.fontspace.com.

In my picture samples, I have only included staff and my own children’s pictures to give you an idea of what the lists look like without sharing pictures of my students. My actual student lists has more student pictures and can consist of two separate lists:  the "To:" page and the "From:" page.  Teacher's Tip:  I create my lists on Boardmaker so they are easy to modify for each student.  

For students that are just learning to identify their picture,  the "From:" picture labels are wonderful as it gives them more practice in identifying themselves.    Another option I have used in the past is to provide sticker labels for students who don’t have the fine motor skills to cut and paste.  I simply print their list on to Avery sticker label paper.  

The best part about modified Valentine's lists is that they have the students pictures on them so parents and family members can put faces to names of classmates and staff.  Another benefit of the photos is that they help our students be more independent in giving valentines to their friends at our Valentine's Party. 

Be watching my blog in the weeks to come to see the creative way our students deliver their valentines to one another & how the students practice the necessary skills prior to the party!!

Instructor's Tip:  Make sure your Valentine's list has a return date on it. I always ask my families to return the valentines to the classroom a day before the party so I have time for reminder calls when necessary.