Play Dough Stamping ~Educational & Activities for Letter Recognition, Letter Sounds, Spelling and Reading

I linked our stamps and some other options for these activities.

Letter Recognition

Here are a couple ways to work on letter recognition with your child. 1: Have your child pick a stamp and ask them the letter they picked. If they say the correct letter, let them stamp it into the dough. If they say the incorrect letter then say, “It’s a __!” Stay excited while you correctly state the letter and ask them to now stamp it into the play dough. Have them repeat the letter name with you. 2: Another activity would be asking your child to find a specific letter. Say the letter name and letter sound and then say some words that start with that letter as they search. Depending on age, you may want to only have a few letters for them to choose from. As they master their letter recognition & gain confidence, you can have more and more out for the child to look through.

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Letter Sounds

Here are a couple of ways to work on letter sounds with play dough and stamps. Have your child pick a stamp and ask them the letter they picked. Now ask them the letter sound. If they say the correct letter sound, let them stamp into the dough. If they say the incorrect letter sound, then say, “Letter ___ makes this sound ___!” (Stay away from, “No that’s wrong”) Stay excited and positive while you correctly state the letter sound and ask them to now stamp it into the play dough. Have them repeat the letter sound with you as they stamp. “Letter ___ says ____.” 2: Another activity would be asking your child to find a specific letter based on the letter sound you make. Say the letter sound. If they need more hints say some words that start with that letter and specifically make that letter sound. We all know the English language is weird and some letters are tricky. For example “CH” words shouldn’t be used for examples for letter C. Depending on age, you may want to only have a few letters for them to choose from. As they master their letter sounds & gain confidence, you can have more and more out for the child to look through.

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Spelling

1. If you are working on specific words for a spelling test, this is a fun way to practice. Read of each word and allow your child to stamp it. One at a time check the spelling and correct if needed, then move on to the next word. 2. If you are working on sounding out and spelling you can coach your child as they sound out a word. Read off a word to the child. As they start stamping you can encourage and support them. Slow the word down and annunciate the letter sounds heard in the word. 3. Write out the word for your child. Give them the proper stamps or allow them to search for the letters needed to create the word. Now read the word with them and have them sound out the word and say it as they stamp it.

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Reading

1. Write out the word you are practicing with your child. Give them the letter stamps needed or allow them to search for the letters needed to create the word. Now read the word with them (if this is a newly introduced word) and have them sound out it out with you. Keep in mind, some site words can’t be sounded out. Have them stamp out the word as they read it. This is a great way to practice reading and spelling.

I hope you guys find these to be fun and useful activities when working on literacy skills with your children.

XO Eryka