Learning Your Address and Phone Number

What You Need

Here's What To Do

More Ideas To Try

 

What You Need

• Copies of local phone book
• An old phone, toy phone, or a telephone keypad or a cellphone keypad on a piece of paper

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Here's What To Do

1. Share a phone book with the children. Look through the pages together and ask children what they see and know about the phone book. What can they find there? How are things organized? What else is included?
2. Working together, see if you can find your own and the children’s addresses and phone numbers.
3. Write children’s phone numbers in large numbers on pieces of paper so they can refer to the numbers. Have them read the numbers to you.
4. Have children practice reading their phone numbers several times a day. You can also make up songs or tunes to sing the phone numbers to.
5. Get a toy or old phone, or a copy of a telephone keypad or a cellphone keypad on a piece of paper. Using the papers with their phone numbers, have them practice dialing.
6. After a few times practicing, have children try to remember their phone numbers and dial them without looking at the numbers on their papers.
7. Once they have practiced several times and are comfortable with dialing, have them call their home numbers from a cell phone or from another phone. If you’re using an old cell phone, you will need to talk about pushing the talk button to complete the call.
8. To help children learn their addresses, you can use many of the same strategies. Write down their full address for them to read and review. They can also look at the mail to see their addresses.
9. Make a song or a riddle of children’s addresses to make it easier for them to remember.
10. Have children look at the numbers on their houses or mailboxes. They can look at street signs as well.

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More Ideas To Try

• Using poster board, recreate a telephone keypad or a cellphone keypad. Have children use their feet to dial their phone numbers. Ask them to say or sing their phone numbers as they do it.
• Let children practice their knowledge by writing their return addresses on envelopes. They could also practice typing them on the computer.
• Using a small photo album, make personalized phone books with pictures of the children’s friends and relatives and their phone numbers. Children can also practice dialing these numbers with permission.

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