Arctic Animals Word Wall Cards
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These Arctic Animals Word Wall Cards are a handy literacy tool for helping your preschoolers learn the names of Arctic animals and how to write them.
This FREE printable includes six pages, each with three cards, for a total of 18 cards. The arctic animal name in English is entirely black, and underneath, you will find the Spanish name in red. You can download the cards at the end of this post.
Arctic Animals Word Wall Cards
These cards are a vital literacy tool that will help your preschoolers learn the names of some Arctic animals, their initial sounds, and how to write them. They will also teach them the Spanish names of these animals.
Your preschoolers can use all these cards to develop skills such as:
- Language development – talking about the pictures in the cards.
- One-to-one correspondence – matching magnetic, foam, or wooden letters with the letters on the words or the animals’ names with the pictures.
- Pre-writing/fine Motor Development – copying the words with magnetic, foam, or wooden letters, crayons, markers, or pencils, and tracing them with dry-erase markers.
- Phonological Awareness – sounding out the beginning letter or the syllables in the words.
- Pre-reading – when they observe the picture and say its name (word).
How to Prepare and Display the Arctic Animals Word Wall Cards
These cards do not require a lot of materials to keep the budget under control, and you probably have all or most of them already. You will need:
- Arctic Word Wall Cards (found at the end of this post).
- printer
- white cardstock
- scissors
- laminator machine
- laminator pouches
Print out the pages with the cards using white cardstock. Then cut out and laminate each card to protect it and extend its lifespan. Remember, you will need one set for the word wall and one set for each center where you want to place them.
Display these cards on the word wall and in other areas where children can see them. That way, you and your children can use them for large- and small-group activities. Some ideas and areas I can give you are:
- Word Wall: Take one set and place the cards on your word wall under the same alphabet letter as the beginning letter of each word. That way, your students will recognize the correct letters. Use the cards to teach your preschoolers the beginning sounds of their names as well.
- Writing Area: Invite your preschoolers to practice their pre-writing skills by matching words to magnetic, foam, or wooden letters, tracing them with dry-erase markers, and copying them with crayons, markers, or pencils.
- Science Area: Have your children match the words to Arctic animal figurines and talk to them about each animal’s characteristics. You can also show them videos of those animals. You can find good ones on YouTube.
- Block Area: Encourage the children to build enclosures for the animals, using mini Arctic animal figurines.
- Art Area: Invite them to use the pictures on the cards as models for drawing or painting their favorite animals, or sculpting them with playdough.
- Library: Encourage the children to look for exact words in books and to look at books that feature these animals. Use the opportunity to discuss the characteristics of the animals in the books, and have the children compare them.
- Math Area: Provide children with different opportunities to count animals using mini figurines, classify them as mammals or birds, identify how they travel (legs, wings, or flippers), and classify their body coverage (skin, hair, and feathers).
Arctic-related Books
These are some of my favorite Arctic animal books. You can find them at your local library, a used bookstore, or on Amazon. For your convenience, I added my affiliate links to each title. You must click on your favorites, which will bring you to the Amazon website in seconds.
- Arctic Animals by Tyler Grady Vivid uses full-color photography to capture each animal’s unique characteristics and includes engaging, easy-to-understand descriptions of their habitats, behaviors, and survival strategies.
- Hello World! Arctic Animals by Jill McDonald provides easy-to-understand facts about how these incredible animals eat, sleep, camouflage, and stay warm in such a cold environment.
- Amazing Arctic Animals by Jackie Glassman presents cool facts about the arctic fox, beluga whale, snowy owl, and other Arctic animals.
- Animals of the Arctic by Hope Aicher is a captivating nonfiction children’s book featuring over 20 stunning full-color photos and fascinating facts about Arctic wildlife, teaching children about the incredible adaptations that help these animals survive in one of the coldest places on Earth.
- In Arctic Waters, Laura Crawford uses rhythmic, cumulative prose to teach young children about polar bears, walruses, seals, narwhals, and beluga whales, and how these animals live in the cold, icy Arctic.
Pin It For Later
If you are in a rush and don’t have time to read the post and download the printable, but want to save it for later, pin this to one of your Pinterest boards.
Remember to grab your free Arctic Animals Word Wall Cards! Click on the link below to download them immediately and start using them daily in your classroom.
I hope you and your preschoolers enjoy this printable and that it becomes a fun and valuable resource for all of you.
Be happy, safe, and creative. I wish you well.
Love,
P.S. Please let me know your opinion on these cards and whether you would like to see more word wall cards.
