Notes for adults

Age 5 · 20 min · Medium

Find six ocean animals in an 8×8 word search, with pictures to help children read the words.

Learning objectives

• Identify and name ocean animals using pictures.
• Find words by comparing their letters with the word bank.
• Follow rows and columns of the grid with their eyes.

What you need

• Printed word search
• Pencil or crayon

How to do it

1. Print the page and find a pencil or crayon.
2. Look at the pictures together and read the animal names aloud.
3. Show your child how to look for the first letter of a word in the grid.
4. Follow the next letters with a finger, across a row or down a column.
5. Invite your child to circle each word they find.
6. When finished, read the names together again and talk about the animals.

Teaching suggestions

• Read each word aloud and point to its letters as you say it.
• If getting started is tricky, choose a short word and help find its first letter.
• Cover part of the grid with a sheet of paper to make the search easier.
• In a group, let children take turns choosing and finding a word.

Variations

• Make it easier: Show your child where a word starts and search for the remaining letters together.
• Make it harder: After finding a word, invite your child to name its letters without looking at the word bank.
• Extend the activity: Invite your child to draw a favorite ocean animal and share something about it.

Talk about it

• Which animal would you like to learn more about? Why?
• How did you find a word in the grid?
• What differences did you notice between these animals?

What to look for

• Notice whether the child identifies animals using the pictures.
• Watch for the child comparing letters in the grid with the word bank.
• Notice whether the child follows a row or column to look for a word.