The most important word for any child is his/her own name.  For most children, it is the first word that they learn to read and write.

The children have been doing activities that draw their attention to the letters in their own names, including learning to print their names starting with a capital letter followed by lower-case ones.

Children recognize the letters of the alphabet by attending to their distinctive features; circles, straight lines, crossing lines.  Practicing their names helps them to notice the differences among the letters.  It also helps them to learn the sounds in their names and the names of their friends.