Birthday Cards
Skills: Writing, Letter-sound Knowledge, Phonics, Vocabulary, Oral Language
Students create birthday cards for friends, family members, classmates, dolls, puppets, stuffed animals, or characters in the dramatic play centre. Using drawings, letters, words, and/or invented spelling, students create a personal message and sign their name. Students can deliver their cards during a classroom celebration, dramatic play scenario, or pretend birthday party and share their messages with the recipient.
- Observe students to determine when support or extension may be needed.
- Provide word banks, sentence starters, alphabet charts, or opportunities to dictate messages as needed while allowing students to make their own creative decisions.
- Engage students in conversation about who their card is for and what they would like to communicate.
- Support students in applying letter-sound knowledge and using inventive spelling to record their ideas.
- Prompt students to stretch out words and listen for individual sounds as they write.
- Encourage students to read their messages aloud and explain the meaning of their writing.
- Extend learning by inviting students to create additional birthday materials such as invitations, gift tags, party signs, menus, or thank-you notes.
- Blank paper or card templates
- Writing and drawing materials
- Stickers, stamps, or loose parts for decorating (optional)
- Word banks, alphabet charts, or sound walls (optional)
- Dramatic play materials for a birthday celebration (optional)
