For this preschool sight words activity we will be using paper, toddler scissors, pencil or pen and crayons. All items you probably have at home. If you don’t have these items you can check out my Homeschool Must Haves list on Amazon. My son loves to use his scissors so I wanted to create a fun lesson that required scissors. Using scissors is a great way to encourage independence. Toddlers want to be independent around age 3, so allowing them to pick colors or choose their shirts makes them feel like big kids.
Benefits of using scissors includes
- builds strength in hand muscles
- Hand-eye coordination
- Fine motor skills
- Strengthen grasp
- Focus and attention to detail
- FUN!!
Preschool Sight Word Activity including scissors
Every week I try to have a “word of the week” to help learn sight words. This week was the word bus. I intentionally choose words that he is interested in. He loves to see buses. For the lesson, we review the letter B and a word that starts with that letter.
Let the fun begin!
Now for the fun part! First draw three across the paper giving enough spaces for the letters. Then write the letters of the word in each box. Create another row beneath the first row you made. You should be able to make three rows. Cut across the page to seperate each row.
I used bright colors and only one color to help with focus. Because I have a 3yr old and 1yr old, I tend to choose the same color I am trying to teach my 1yr old. As you can see in the picture, my son is working on the word “bus” while my daughter is coloring with a red crayon.
The next step is letting your toddler can cut the lines you made. The goal is to stay as close to the line as possible, but don’t let them feel stressed if they went off the line. After your child has separated the letters, have them use the letter squares to spell the word. I keep an example of the word visible because it will help them match the order.
Last part of this lesson is reading a book that focuses on the word. For example we read “Max goes on the Bus” by Adria F. Klein. I let my son read the word “bus” out loud when it shows up in a sentence.
Additions for this Activity
You can play this game weekly to build their preschool sight words list. Repetition is helpful for your child’s development and helps you with homeschool planning.
Here are some things you can add to this activity
- Let your child trace the letters with a crayon
- Use colored paper
- Try this activity with their name
Other Scissors Activities
- Go outside to cut flowers and focus on the word flower.
- Cut color paper and focus on colors.
- Roll play dough in different shapes and cut pieces off. This activity would focus on motor skills. There is a great book in my 22 Best Books for toddlers that would go great with this lesson!
