Valentine’s Day Word Wall Cards for Preschoolers
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I must confess that I’m not in the classrooms anymore since I’ve been a Director for more than fifteen years. That doesn’t mean that I’ve stopped being a teacher. Once a teacher, you’re always a teacher. I promise you. The difference now is that with this position, I get to oversee all ages and help my staff with ideas and resources for their classrooms. Still, it’s easier for me to create activities for preschoolers like these FREE educational Valentine’s Day Word Wall Cards, since they’re the youngest age group I ever worked with. Okay, okay… I still work with them whenever I can. Remember what I said once a teacher….?
Teachers must switch around in the classroom, which means library books, decorations, and themes. It keeps preschoolers interested and excited. Activities for this age are the same because you have to use repetition constantly for them to learn. However, if you switch around in your classroom, children automatically think you are doing something new. That’s the trick to keeping them engaged, along with doing activities that are meaningful to them.
This printable includes two sets of four pages each (four in English and four in Spanish). Each set contains 16 cards that include the words heart, key, cupid, potion, arrow, letter, and lock. The cards are printed in two ways: one in red ink only (for Valentine’s Day) and another with the first letter in red and the rest in black. That way, you can also use them to teach your children beginning sounds. You can get both sets at the end of this post.
Valentine’s Day Word Wall Cards
Going back to what this post is about, I have to say the word wall is required in many early childhood programs because it helps your children become familiar with printed words and start developing their emergent literacy skills. With that in mind, I created these Valentine’s Day Word Wall Card printables, which are free, and you can find them at the end of this post.
Depending on the activities you choose to do with these cards, they can help your preschoolers develop important skills such as:
- Vocabulary and Language Development – talking about the pictures in the cards.
- One-to-one correspondence – matching magnetic letters with the letters on the words.
- Pre-writing/fine motor development – copying the words with magnetic letters, tracing them with dry-erase markers, and copying them with crayons or pencils.
- Pre-reading skills – when they observe the picture and say its name (word).
- Phonological awareness – sounding out the beginning letter or the syllables in the words.
- Memory – remembering letter names, sounds, and words.
- Set creation skills – matching pictures with words.
How to Prepare the Word Wall Cards
To get these Valentine’s Day Word Wall Cards ready, you will need these materials:
- FREE Valentine’s Day Word Wall cards are at this post’s end.
- White cardstock
- Scissors
- Laminator machine
- Laminator pouches
Print two sets of each page using white cardstock. Then cut out and laminate each card to protect it and make it last longer. To prepare for the matching game, take one set and separate the pictures from the written words.
Where to Place the Cards
At the beginning of the school year, display the alphabet horizontally across the wall at students’ eye level.
Once you introduce each word during circle time, place the Valentine’s Day Word Wall cards under the beginning letter to help your students quickly identify the beginning letter of each word. You can also ask your students to place the cards as part of the activity.
How to Use Valentine’s Day Words
I don’t like introducing too many new words with each theme; I try to use more relevant, easy-to-understand words because when words are meaningful to children, they are more helpful.
In preschool, it is also vital that you introduce the word first using the correct picture, as well as the beginning sound. You never ask the children to name the word (or the image). Remember that preschoolers learn the first sound they hear, and if it is incorrect, it will be harder for them to learn the right way afterward.
You can do several fun activities using your Valentine’s Day word wall during February.
- During circle time, when introducing the Valentine’s Day theme, present your picture cards to the children, one at a time. Hold the card in your hand and tell the students what it is. Repeat the name of the picture several times to emphasize the first sound. Call on a volunteer to place the card under the correct letter on the word wall, or do it yourself.
- Use these Valentine’s Day Word Wall cards as a writing activity. Place these cards in the writing center and encourage the children to copy the words using magnetic letters. They can also copy their selected word on paper using a pencil or a crayon.
- As the children interact with the word wall cards in the different centers, please encourage them to repeat the beginning sound of the card they use. Do this as often as possible throughout the day.
- Prepare a matching game. Print a set and separate each picture from the written word by cutting along the line. Invite the children to create sets and match the photos with the correct printed words. This activity will help them recognize printed words and develop one-to-one correspondence and set-creating skills.
Additional Activities:
When introducing a theme, I like combining as many related activities as possible. I have found that when you use this practice and change the classroom decoration, you motivate your preschoolers to stay engaged and interested, avoiding boredom and behavior challenges.
These are some suggestions for Valentine’s Day activities and resources you can use in combination with the word wall cards:
- Play a Valentine’s Day Memory Game.
- Have them do Valentine’s Day Puzzles.
- Play Valentine’s Day Bingo.
- Read Valentine’s Day-related books.
- Use Valentine’s Day Décor.
- Have the children create Valentine’s Day-related artwork, such as paintings, coloring, or collages using red, pink, and white.
- Have them do a cooking activity, such as preparing a snack with red fruit, strawberries, and red berries, or decorating cookies or cupcakes with pink frosting.
- Invite your preschoolers to do a simple science experiment by mixing white and red paint to make pink paint.
- Have them spell the word on the wall cards.
- Have a dress-up day with red, pink, and white clothes and have a parade for their classmates.
I get practically everything I need for school and my home on Amazon because it has hundreds of materials for the activities above, with incredibly affordable prices and a variety so extensive you won’t need to look anywhere else. These are just a few samples:
The most important advice I can give you is to have fun. If you love and are excited about what you are doing, your preschoolers will probably feel the same way.
Valentine’s Day Books
Read books to your preschoolers daily, and keep them available in all centers so they can access them throughout the day.
When you read books to your children, you are not only teaching them vocabulary words and showing them that you read from top to bottom and left to right, the same way you write, but you are also creating the foundation for them to develop skills that will help them learn how to read and write in the future; to mention some of the benefits reading has.
It is recommended that the library change themes to keep them interested and motivated. Here are some books you can use with the Valentine’s Day theme. You can find books at your local library, the bookstore, and on Amazon, using the links on the titles.*
- How Many Do I Love You? by Chery Lord-Byrd is a counting book full of love. Each flip of the page allows you to practice counting to ten, discover fun-loving messages, and enjoy cute animal illustrations.
- How to Catch a Loveosaurus by Alice Walstead blends exciting traps and STEAM concepts with hilarity and chaos to encourage reading, learning, and imagination. This charming adventure will delight young readers, families, and educators alike.
- The Night Before Valentine’s Day by Nathasha Wing invites you to join the colorful fun, then come to school the next morning for a day of parties and games!
- There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose! by Lucille Colandro. With rhyming text and hilarious illustrations, this wacky version of the classic song will appeal to young readers as they follow the Old Lady on a wild Valentine’s Day adventure.
- Groggle’s Monster Valentine by Diana Murray. Follow Groggle Monster as he makes a Valentine’s Day card for Snarlina, his best friend in the world.
- Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond. One day, it starts raining hearts, perfect for making Valentine’s Day cards, and Cornelia Augusta catches them to send cards to her animal friends.
- I Love You More, Babysaur by Rose Russner. Filled with cute dinosaur puns, beautiful illustrations, full names and pronunciations, and a heartwarming message, this story is perfect for sharing with someone you love.
- Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff. This board book with sturdy pages is perfect for preschoolers who will enjoy the simple introduction to the fun of Valentine’s Day.
- Little Critter: Happy Valentine’s Day, Little Critter! by Mercer Meyer has gatefold flaps for readers to pull back and discover all the fun Valentine’s Day surprises.
- I Love You Like No Otter by Rose Russner. This book combines a warm message of love with beautifully illustrated animals.
Valentine’s Day is no different than any other theme or holiday, and it is an excellent opportunity to change the routine by doing something fun but educational with your preschoolers. Let your imagination run wild, and remember you can always adapt activities from other holidays by using Valentine’s Day colors and pictures to make them appropriate and relevant for the children.
Pin It for Later
If you don’t have time to download your printable but want it for later, pin it to your Valentine’s Day, Literacy, or any other Pinterest board.
By the way, don’t forget to grab your free Valentine’s Day Word Wall Cards printables! Choose the one that is more appropriate for your particular program (the one in English or the one in Spanish), or download both if you have a bilingual classroom, and start using them every day during February.
I hope you enjoy these word wall cards that will help you complement your Valentine’s Day printables and activities collection and help you have a memorable and fun Valentine’s Day month with your preschoolers.
Be happy, safe, and creative. I wish you well.
Love,
Love,
P.S. If you would like to see an article about something specific, please let me know, and I will try my best to write it for you. My goal is to help you in any way I can.
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