Not all of our students know how to spell their names. Therefore, this activity helped them begin to learn the letters in their names. It also helped all the kids with their fine motor skills by gluing the beans on the construction paper.
It was interesting to see how the kids approached this project. Some put a dot of glue on the paper and then placed the bean on top of the glue. Others opted to put a dot of glue around each letter and then place the beans on top; the kids who did this option finished faster. In addition, some kids left spaces between the beans while others glued them side by side.
I would do this activity with my classroom. The only question I have is what non-food item could be used in place of beans. Professor Capuozzo mentioned in our Creativity class to not use food items in class if they're not going to be eaten. He got this idea from his professor because of how hunger is still an unfortunate issue in our world. Buttons is one option.
