Teachers have opposing veiws on nametags. With all the things we have to write a young child's name on, why spend another 1/2 hour making name tags and writing on them too? Here's why I do it.

• One of our report card standards is: "TLW recognize their name in print." I figure if the child sees it enough this will help. What better way than to have it plastered on their body as a constant reminder.
• Other students will also see their name and begin to be able to read them as well.
• It's also a "little cheat-sheet" for when they have to find it elsewhere. One has only to glance at their tag to then locate a mailbox, locker, paper, tubbie etc.
•  I tell them not to look at their tag and try and find these things without the help of their tag, and then to check their tag to make sure they are at the correct place.
• For the first two weeks of school tags are for my sanity. I have stickers on them  for walkers (feet), pick ups (cars) and bus riders (busses) I know at a glance who goes where and so does the child. "OK! All the children who have a bus sticker please line up over here in the bus line. Thank you." "Now I need all my children who have a car sticker; please stand over here." etc.
• I have my "going home list" on a clipboard. When the office sends down a note of a child's change of venue, I immediately stick it to the clipboard so that I can pull a car, foot or bus out of one line and put them into another.
• These name tags are also for their protection. Often times little ones get lost in our big building as they are dropped off out front.
• All staff members know to watch out for Mrs. Henderson's big purple tags because they are Y5's. 
• My September tags not only have the child's name on them, but they have the address of where the bus will be dropping them off, their bus number and their teacher's name.
• The Y5's and the Kindergarten teachers all have this kind of info. Each one of us has a different color, so we can tell at a glance who belongs to whom, and who should be in what class.
• This is very much appreciated by office staff, cafeteria people, and especially the bus drivers who have caught a few "oops!" before they have driven away.
• I laminate these tags and slip them into a plastic sleeve that has a metal clip on them. That way if the child gets water down the sleeve, the tag inside will still be protected.
• In the past I have simply laminated the construction paper and put double reinforcement holes on the front and back and used safety pins. These worked fairly well, but they were pretty dog-eared after 2 weeks.
• I send a note home to parents to please wear the tags daily and to take them off as soon as the child gets home and attach it to their backpack. That way, if they forget to put it back on in the morning, at least I will have access to it.
• Anyone wearing their name tag the next day of school gets a sticker on the back.
• I do this because my students LOVE stickers and it gives them a little incentive to help them remind their parents to remember to put their name tag on. This is a great way to teach responsibility.
• I always laminate 10 extra  blank ones to use when children do forget. 
• I feel wearing name tags also builds a child's self-esteem and makes them feel special. All kinds of staff members greet these children throughout the day:  "Hi Kelli!" They are little people. They have no idea that these adults are reading a name tag. They think everyone knows them! That makes them feel wonderful!
• My children don't stay with me all day. They have exploratory with other teachers. Those teachers have over 200 children. They don't have seating charts to depend on. Name tags are important for discipline, behavior modification, and building rapport with students they only have once a week.
• Young children tend to speak in whisper-soft voices when asked their name by cafeteria staff. This makes for a long line of impatient hungry children. Seeing a name tag and hearing a name helps the line move right along.
• After the two weeks,  I switch to a foam name tag.
• Hobby Lobby and Michaels Craft Stores are two of my favorite places for crafts. The Dollar Tree store has also started to carry some craft supplies and ours has packs of small foam.
• Cut an index-size piece of foam in 1/2
• Snip the sides off so that it looks like a tag.
• Punch a hole in the middle of one end.
• Make sure that you are as far in as the hole punch allows. Children pull on name tags and this will keep it from ripping from the safety pin.
• Put double reinforcent holes on both sides. 
• Buy a bag of self-stick die-cut shapes.
• I buy stars and tell my students that they are all shining stars that have star power, and that as their teacher I'm going to help them shine their brightest. 
• Peel and stick the star on the right end of the tag.
• Write names in permanent black marker.
• Attach  a safety pin.
• Attaching name tags is also a great fine motor skill. 
• My students put these tags on in the morning and wear them to special, then to lunch and then they take them off.
• I also give them a little star certificate.  I have them write their name on it then cut it out.  Click on the star to make some for your students.
•  Simply run them off on yellow construction paper.  I did not make up the little verse,  I found it online a few years ago. Little Giraffes also does this poem.
• I make it a point to learn my students' names by the end of the 1st day of school
• On library day I have them put their name tags on again so the librarian feels more comfortable reading to my little ones.
• Things get crazy in my world, so I tell the children to help remind me to take name tags off. The first one who does that gets a Smartie Coin, sticker, M&M, or Skittle; their choice. Or I may give the little basket I keep the tags in, to the Helper of The Day.
• It's amazing how children remember things when you ask them, and it helps teach responsibility,and  build self- esteem as they enjoy the praise later.
• I make an extra set of tags and keep them in a baggie in my substitute folder.
• My foam tags last all year.
• I put my students' names on borders for their birthday crowns. They LOVE them, and seem to keep these on all day. They are easily seen, and don't get wet.
• I'm toying with the idea of making laminated crowns for name tags some year. I'm not sure if tossing them in a basket every day would damage them tho'.
• Any thoughts? What does everyone else do?