Plan-Let children experience the I Spy books by JeanMarollo and Walter Wick. These books promote visual discrimination and helps build a working memory that young children need as they are learning about letters and numbers.  

Promotion-Have an “I Spy Day” in the library. As they enter the library have a magnifying glass up to your face and keep saying, “Can you find it?” Let them know that they will be detectives for the day.  

Preparation-Pull any I Spy books that you may have in the library and display them in a prominent place. Purchase one of the large I Spy puzzles. Create an I Spy box using a paper box top and fill it with small items; such as, army men, small plastic animals, small cars, erasers, paper clips, etc. These “I Spy Box Tops” can be themed if you wish or can be miscellaneous items. Have a few printable I Spy games from PaperTrailDesign available. Please see her copyright policy on her website.  

Procedures-Introduce younger children to the I Spy books. They will need some guidance as to how to read and use these books. Teach them to scan in a pattern so that they cover the page in a consistent manner. After working with students on how to “read” the book, let them practice by going to different stations. These are the possibilities:  

  • I Spy book station-students can work with a partner to identify objects in the books. 
  • Put together an I Spy puzzle-work with a team to build an I Spy puzzle and then find objects with friends.  
  • Printable I Spy pages from PaperTrailDesigns. This station can be an individual station for those who do not wish to work with a partner today.  
  • I Spy in the Box-students work with friends to identify the objects in the box. The objects can be taken out once they are found.  

Payoff-Students will be discriminating visually the objects that they need to find. They will also be verbalizing what needs to be found and increasing their vocabulary. They will be strengthening their working memory as they are searching for one object and then either I spy and object for a friend or get asked to find an object that they have in their memory. Great for ESL students working on vocabulary.  

I’ve included a link to Bright Hub Education in which they use the I Spy books for many activities. Check it out if you want more information about how to use I Spy books in the classroom.  

Fun Indoor Activities for Kids Using I Spy Books. (2009, September 19). BrightHub Education. https://www.brighthubeducation.com/elementary-school-activities/49405-i-spy-book-activities-for-grades-two-through-four/?utm_content=expand_article