Family Collage: Photos + Beginning Sounds
Level 3 develops academic independence.
- Framework: EYFS
- Unit: EYFS My Family
- Learning area: Communication and Language
- Level: EYFS Reception
Objectives
- Analyse and justify thinking
- Write about family members
- Present orally
- Collaborate
Materials
- Family photos
- Cardstock
- Glue
- Coloured pencils
- Writing tools
Instructions
Materials
Cardstock or sturdy paper (one per child)
Glue sticks
Child safe scissors
Magazines or printed pictures of various family members and home items
Old family photographs (one per child, if possible, or a few examples to share)
Markers or crayons
Sugar paper scraps in various colours
Laminator (optional, for durability)
Learning Objectives
Children will be able to identify and name at least three members of their own family.
Children will be able to match a beginning sound (phoneme) to a letter (grapheme) within family-related vocabulary.
Children will be able to express personal connections to their family through collage creation.
Children will practise fine motor skills through cutting, gluing, and drawing.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Begin by gathering the children together and introducing the concept of "family." Ask them to share who is in their family and what they enjoy doing together at home. Show a few example family photos to spark conversation.
2. Explain that they will be creating a special collage to celebrate their families, using pictures from magazines and their own photos.
3. Distribute one piece of cardstock to each child. Have them draw a large star or heart in the centre to represent their family.
4. Provide children with the magazines and instruct them to find pictures that represent their family members (e.g., a "mum," "dad," "sister," "brother," "grandparent") or things they do at home (e.g., a "house," "bed," "food"). Guide them with prompts like, "What sound does 'mum' start with?"
5. Help children cut out their chosen pictures. For those who struggle with scissors, offer pre-cut pictures or assist directly.
6. Encourage children to glue their pictures onto their cardstock, arranging them around their central drawing. Remind them to think about their family at home as they choose and place pictures.
7. Once their collages are complete, invite children to share them, pointing out different family members or home items. Ask them to say the beginning sound of one word related to their collage, like "d" for "dad."
8. (Optional) Children can add their names or labels to their collages using markers or crayons.
Educator Tip
This activity can be adapted by providing different levels of support for cutting and gluing. For children who may not have traditional family photos, encourage them to draw their family or use figures of people from magazines. Families can be invited to send in a non-identifying photo related to a family activity or a drawing from their child representing their home.
Assessment
Observe children's ability to name family members and their engagement in discussing their families. Note their ability to identify and articulate the beginning sound of at least one family-related word represented in their collage. The completed collage serves as a visual representation of their understanding of family and their creative expression.
Educator tip
Use rubric; insist on justification.
Assessment
Assess against Early Learning Goals (ELGs). Document evidence of 'expected' or 'exceeding' descriptors. Note: independent application of skills, ability to explain reasoning, and capacity to build on prior learning. Rubric (1–4): accuracy, language use, presentation quality.