Word Puzzle

Children learn to spell using puzzle pieces.

Level: Pre-school
Originated by: Treetop Publishing

Help your preschooler understand that letters make words by putting them together in a certain order. A natural beginning word would be their name.

• Using our 4” puzzle pieces, use a black marker to write one letter of your child’s name on each piece, making sure all the nubs on the pieces are in the same direction.
• Put the pieces together and place above the child’s working area. (Add magnets to the back of each piece, and the child could play this game on the refrigerator.)
• Repeat the letters of the name on more puzzle pieces, using a red marker
• Mix up the pieces.
• Have your child put the puzzle with the red pieces together, using the puzzle with the black pieces as a guide, and starting with the first letter rather than choosing a random letter.
• Ask your child to say the name of each letter as he puts the puzzle piece in place to help make the connection between what they see and what they hear.
• Once the child has successfully put his name puzzle together a few times, take the guide pieces away and have him try to put the letters correctly without the guide.
• Once the name is mastered, add more words with different sounds.
• You can also use the pieces as a guide to help the child write the letters correctly.