✏️ Writing & pencil control · Ages 5–6 · about 3 weeks

A Menu for Our Table

Goal: Write a few food names with useful sound spellings and arrange them so someone can choose.

For parents: A menu shows what is available. Use foods already at home, or a pretend meal drawn on paper; nothing needs buying or cooking. Choose two or three names. Help with unfamiliar spellings such as mango or daal, and accept your child's sound-based attempts.

Do together

  1. Choose the food names

    You need: Paper and a pencil

    Agree two or three foods for a pretend meal, perhaps roti, daal and mango. Say each name. Your child writes what they can hear, with your help for unfamiliar spellings. Put each name on its own line.

  2. Make choices clear

    You need: The menu and crayons

    Read the names together. Add a small drawing beside each to help the reader choose. Ask your child to form one unclear letter again nearby if they wish. Keep the original writing; the menu does not need a fresh copy.

  3. Use our menu

    You need: The menu and a pencil

    Offer the menu to someone at home. Ask them to choose a pretend dish. Your child marks the chosen line and reads its name with help. If the pretend dish changes, cross out that entry and write one replacement together.

Talk about it

  • What can our reader choose?
  • Which sounds can you write in this name?
  • Where shall we put the new choice?

Words to use

  • menu
  • choose
  • food
  • name
  • line
  • letter
  • reader

Play

  • Word Builder
    Syllables & word building
  • Trace It
    Pre-writing
Play these games free

Every game is free for every family until 20 November 2026.

Your child can…

Ticks are saved on this device only. Move on when most are ticked.