School Sparks - Kindergarten Readiness

Why I like Halloween worksheets

Halloween is often a favorite time for children. It engages their imaginations and allows them to dress up with their friends, collect candy and have parties at school. But why not add a little learning to the mix - especially when that learning can be fun!Tips for using these Halloween worksheets

The Learning Halloween Words tracing worksheet introduces some popular words that children associate with Halloween. The pictures give children a clear clue to the word, and the tracing exercise gives them practice manipulating a pencil. Ask your child to spot the longest word on the page! Before your child picks up his pencil, he can use the pointer finger of his dominant hand to trace the letters of each word.

Identifying identical pictures is designed to give your child practice with visual discrimination. Ask your child to touch the spot under each picture in the row as his eyes examine it. Then ask him to find the picture that is slightly different and circle it with his pencil. You can also ask him to tell you how the picture he chose is different from the others in that row.

The Halloween sight words will help your child learn to read words that he will see throughout the Halloween season. Read all of the words to him and let your child decide which words he wants to learn first. Choose two or three words to show your child repeatedly until he has committed them to memory. Add new words when he is ready.

The directional words worksheet will allow your child to process oral information (auditory processing) as well as practice identifying the "right" and "left" side of his body. Before showing your child the worksheet, ask him to point to the left and to the right. Then ask him to lift his left foot and then his right. If he hesitates, you can write the letter L in the top, left corner of the worksheet page and the letter R, of course, in the top, right corner to provide clues. Cut out all of the pictures before starting the worksheet. Ask your child to pick up the indicated picture and place it in the empty box he believes is correct. In this way, he can make a change if needed before he pastes the picture square onto the worksheet.

Listening to clues worksheet combines auditory processing with logical thinking. Read the first clue and allow your child to look at the pictures and cross out those that do not fit. Then continue to give your child a clue, each time allowing him to make decisions about which picture(s) to cross out. He can circle the picture he believes fits all the clues he hears.

Syllable identification worksheets give children the chance to listen to and identify specific sounds in words. Sometimes children understand the term "word parts" more easily than the word "syllables." I often use these terms interchangeably to help children learn about syllables. Often, two-syllable words are easier to identity than one-syllable words, so you may wish to "warm up" with a few examples of two-syllable words, such as "gumball" or "firefly." Say the word aloud and clap on each syllable to demonstrate this skill for your child. Then look at the worksheet and ask your child to name each picture. He can label the pictures as he likes, since he will then clap on each syllable of the word he says.

Additional activities for Halloween learning

• Play a version of the Memory game with the pictures from the second worksheet. Cut out the three identical pictures from each row. (Try to cut each picture in a square box. If the pictures show through the back of the paper, paste each square on a piece of construction paper to keep the picture hidden.) Place the the pictures face-down on the table in random order. Ask your child to turn over three cards for each turn he takes, instead of two. If he does not reveal three identical pictures, his turn is over. When he finds the three matching pictures, he takes them off the board and takes another turn.
• Once your child knows all eight Halloween sight words, ask him to create sentences using those words. For example, he might say: "My ghost costume for Halloween is spooky."