This year I have decided to start a new routine for word work. I wanted to do something more hands-on and exciting for the students. During our guided reading time, students are split into four groups. They are ability grouped by reading level. We determine each student's reading level at the beginning of the year using a WONDERFUL free resource online.
This website gives us a great starting point. From there, we group the students and use running records to reassess reading levels. We do this to make sure each student is reading "good-fit" books. During the guided reading rotations, students rotate through the following centers:
-Read-to-Self
-Read-to-Teacher
-Writing Center
AND...
-Word Work!!!
When I introduced the different activities for word work, I saw my first graders' faces light up with excitement. That might sound a little exaggerated, but they really were excited. There are some supplies that you will need to have in your classroom in order to do these activities: any notebook that can be used for word work, alphabet stamps, washable stamp ink pads, markers, Play-Doh, popsicle sticks, alphabet stencils, old keyboards (or printouts of a keyboard). If you have some or all of those things you'll be ready to go! Here's the plan: each day of the week students get to do a different activity.
Students will find copies of our weekly sight words in the Monday drawer. They take out their word work notebook, sight word list, alphabet stamps, and stamp ink pads. Students simply stamp as many of their sight words as they can!
Students will find copies of our weekly sight words in the Tuesday drawer. They take out their word work notebook, sight word list, and markers. Students write their words as colorful as they'd like!
HERE'S THE FAVORITE...
Students will find copies of our weekly sight words in the Wednesday drawer. They take out their word work notebook, sight word list, Play-Doh, and a popsicle stick. Students will flatten the Play-Doh on their table spot. With the popsicle stick, they will carve each word into the flattened Play-Doh. After each word, students must also write their sight word in their notebooks.
Students will find copies of our weekly sight words in the Thursday drawer. They take out their word work notebook, sight word list, alphabet stencils, and a pencil. Students will simply trace each sight word into their notebooks!
Students will find copies of our weekly sight words in the Friday drawer. They take out their word work notebook, sight word list, and an old keyboard. Students will practice typing each word on the keyboard. After each word, they must also write the word into their word work notebooks. If you can't get your hands on some old keyboards, you can download this free keyboard PDF to print for students to use:
This is a great opportunity for students to practice using a keyboard and a great way to prepare them for future computer use.
The activities above are the 5 activities that I have chosen to use each day in my class. There are several other hands-on activities that you can do with your students.
- Create a word search using your sight words on this website: http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/WordSearchSetupForm.asp
- Students use alphabet magnets or scrabble tiles to spell out each sight word.
- Students write each sight word on fun scrapbook paper.
- Students can alphabetize the list of sight words.
- Students use old magazines or newspapers to find sight words or cut them out.
- Students write each sight word using fancy writing.
I am so excited to share these things with you and I hope that you can use some of these fun ideas! Many of these ideas I have learned from other teachers and/or websites. Word work is an incredibly important time for students to do hands-on activities to practice mastery of word lists. If done correctly, the word work center can become one of the most anticipated times of the day! :)
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