Word Work
After I gathered the materials, I placed them in clear rubbermaid shoe boxes,labeled the boxes, and stored them on a shoe rack on my counter. The shoe boxes and 2 shoe racks also hold all of my classroom supplies (pencils, crayons, glue, markers, colored pencils) and math manipulatives. 
Each week, I made a list of words for my kids to learn. I used my own spelling words (based on the phonics from Houghton Mifflin), the vocabulary words from Houghton Mifflin, and the High Frequency words from Houghton Mifflin. I would make 10-15 copies of this list and keep them in clear plastic protective sheets. I kept these words in a basket right next to all of my word work materials.
My students would make the words using ONE material of their choice. Once these words were made, then my students could make words that they already know, words from my word walls (or around my room), or words from their books.
While I felt like this was pretty effective, I still think there is more that I can incorporate into word work . I borrowed the book "Word Matters", by Fountas and Pinell from my reading coach at my school.
I am hoping I can get some other ideas from this book in order to "spice up" my word work choices. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to suggest them! Happy Blogging!
-Jackie-
hi! nice blog. I'm a new follower! =)
ReplyDeletemrs tabb
First Grade Awesomeness
Thank you!! Your blog is awesome as well!!
ReplyDelete-Jackie and Danielle-
Hi! I'm a new follower- I was just hired for my first full time teaching job in 4th grade. I student taught in 3rd and LOVED doing word work with the kiddos. Here are some of the things we did: Rainbow words (write words with consonants in 1 color and vowels in another- you can also do with with certain digraphs or clusters in a different color), Word swirls (write your word and then trace the outline of the word 3 times in a different color- helps students visualize the word), Making Connections (3 column chart- words in 1st column, pick a connection for middle column like "begins with st" or "rhymes with", and 3rd column- list words that follow that connection- like straight, strain, state etc if it was "begins with st"), classic magnetic letters, mix and fix, look/say/cover/write/check, spell the words with your body (helps create neuropathways)....
ReplyDeleteNext year I am going to have my students stamp their words as an activity- I bought a couple cute sets from the target dollar spot (the larger $2.50 ones), which happen to fit perfectly into the lid of their $ Cardboard boxes.
The F&P Word Matters Book is Great as is Words Their Way. Happy Word Study :-)
-Kathleen @ http://gracefallslikerain1.blogspot.com/
I need to spice up my word work too. I'm familiar with all the materials, but what are the beans for?
ReplyDeleteDo they use the beans to make letters and spell words?
Allison
awholebrainteacher.blogspot.com