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Home » Writing Activities » Word Work and Spelling » Learning Your Name Freight Train

Learning Your Name Freight Train

July 9, 2015 • 9 Comments

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It is time for Virtual Book Club for Kids.  Our featured author this month is Donald Crews.  We picked Freight Train to read and then created a learning your name activity.

Learning Your Name is super fun with this Freight Train inspired activity!

If you are new to Virtual Book Club for Kids here is a little background.  The Educators’ Spin On It, Toddler Approved and Rainy Day Mum have put together a wonderful line-up of great authors to explore.  On the second Thursday of each month, talented bloggers will be sharing one of the three featured books by the highlighted author that month.  Each blogger shares an activity or craft to compliment one of the three books.  You are invited to try out as many of the ideas that you feel would be a good fit for your kids.

Now, onto the Donald Crews’ book and activity we chose this month.

Full Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links.

Freight Train Book and Learning Your Name Activity

The Book:  Freight Train


Train lovers will enjoy this simple book that also teaches about colors.  It’s neat to see the movement of the train through the illustrations as it  barrels down the track. Freight Train is a simple book that packs a lot of punch!

Learning Your Name Activity

We often use hands-on activities to help my son learn the letters in his name.  Even if you are just working on letter identification, using the letters in your child’s name is the best place to start.

Materials Needed: wooden track and trains, small blocks, sticky notes, markers, construction paper (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and black)

setting up the learning your name freight train activity

1.  Set up your train track and place the train cars on the track.

2.  Place enough blocks along the inside of the track to hold each letter of your child’s name.

3.  Write each letter of your child’s name on a sticky note.  You will need seven sets.  Put each letter on a building block.

4.  Fold each piece of construction the long way (hot dog fold).

5.  If your child need helps ordering the letters in his name, you can write his name on each piece of construction paper.

You are now ready to play and learn.

collecting letters in the learning your name activity

Have your child move the train along the track collecting the letter loads.

building your name

When all letters have been collected, he should deliver them to the color dock (one of the pieces of construction paper). There he will place the sticky notes in the correct order on the paper to spell his nam

Place the next set of sticky notes on the blocks and let your child move the train to collect the next load.  Repeat the series above.

Additional Fun

build a learning your name train

1.  Move to the floor and let your child arrange the “name cars” on the floor to create a long name train.

making a learning your name train

2.  Put each “name car” inside of another to create a book.  Your child can read and spell his name over and over again!

Related Posts

Learning Your Name Puzzles

Mouse Shapes Name Puzzle

Learn to Spell Your Name Parking Garage

Clothespin Name Recognition Game

Are you looking for more great literacy ideas?  Join our FREE newsletter email list!

Now, it’s time to explore some other great activities and crafts to compliment Donald Crews’ books.

Virtual Book Club for Kids

Freight Train Counting Games by Inspiration Laboratories
Shape Train Matching Activity by Toddler Approved
Color Freight Train by 3 Dinosaurs
Color Block Puzzles by The Pleasantest Thing
Paper Train Fun by The Educators’ Spin On It

Dotted Pattern Play by Mama Miss
Black Dot Printing by Rainy Day Mum

Three Truck Inspired Activities by Lalymom

Did you get your free list of Books Kids Will Beg You to Read?

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9 Comments Filed Under: All categories, Word Work and Spelling Tagged With: Freight Train, virtual book club for kids

About Jodie Rodriguez

Jodie Rodriguez is a mom of two young boys and an early childhood/elementary educator with over 20 years of experience. Jodie's passion is helping parents, teachers, librarians and anyone else interested in nurturing and reaching ALL of our youngest growing readers.

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  1. Carrie Groneman says

    July 11, 2015 at 3:43 pm

    Such a clever idea! Stopping by from Sat. Evening Family Friendly Party. Carrie, A Mother’s Shadow

    Reply
    • Jodie Rodriguez says

      July 13, 2015 at 8:03 pm

      Thanks Carrie!

      Reply
  2. Cerys says

    July 10, 2015 at 2:58 am

    What a great activity – and now I won’t be putting our train track to the charity box instead will keep this and use it for learning names and sight words.

    Reply
    • Jodie Rodriguez says

      July 13, 2015 at 8:04 pm

      Isn’t it fun to find new uses for old toys Cerys!

      Reply
  3. Kristina says

    July 9, 2015 at 10:32 am

    This is so creative and such a great way to build names!! Love it

    Reply
  4. Trisha @ Inspiration Laboratories says

    July 9, 2015 at 10:14 am

    I love this way to practice names. I’m going to use it to practice sight words with my son. It really does compliment our train counting activity. 🙂

    Reply
    • Jodie Rodriguez says

      July 13, 2015 at 8:05 pm

      I loved your train idea too Trisha!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Pattern Play and Number Cards says:
    July 10, 2015 at 12:02 am

    […] Learning Your Name Freight Train by Growing Book by Book […]

    Reply
  2. Color Freight Train | 3 Dinosaurs says:
    July 9, 2015 at 4:00 am

    […] Growing Book by Book – Learning Your Name Freight Train […]

    Reply

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