• Word Study

    Our word study program individualizes the way students learn to spell words. We use a hands-on approach to practice spelling patterns in words and high frequency words (heart words). It allows students to manipulate words and/or pictures into different categories. This sorting process helps students analyze and examine, compare and contrast, and differentiate the patterns in words. This hands-on approach not only motivates students to practice spelling words but it also helps students internalize the spelling patterns in words for the future. 

    Your child will be bringing home a collection of words weekly that have been introduced in class. During the week your child is asked to complete different activities to ensure the spelling principles they represent are mastered with reading and writing. 

     Here are some ideas of ways to practice word patterns and heart words:

    Paper Plate Toss: Write sight words on paper plates. Use them like frisbees to throw after reading the word. Add in some additional fun by adding a target.

     Flashlight Words: Turn off the lights. Tape words on the wall or ceiling. Use the flashlight to sine on the word, then have your child read it.

    Go Fish: Wish a duplicate set of word cards play “Go Fish.” You can easily make your own cards out of index cards.

    Stepping Stones: Place the word cards on the floor, making a fun stream going across the room. Have your child walk over the stream. As they step onto the stepping stone (word), have them say the word before they move on to get to the other side of the stream.

    Tic-Tac-Toe: Write words in the tac-tac-toe spaces. Take turns selecting a space to read. If read correctly, an X or O is placed on the space until someone wins.

    Word-O: This is played just like BINGO. Fill in a card with the words that you are working on. Call out the words and mark the spaces. The first one with a card covered calls out the word “WORDO!”

    Word Hunt: Look for target words in books or in the newspaper. If using the newspaper your child can highlight or circle the words that she finds.

    Word Jump: Write the sight words onto the driveway. Call out a word. Have your child jump their way to the sight word.

    SNAP: You put the sight words you want them to practice on flash cards and put the flash cards into a jar. Also, you write the word SNAP on a few flash cards and put them in to the jar. The kids can play in partners or in a groups of 3 or 4 with siblings. They take turns pulling a card out of the jar. If they can say the word on the card automatically with no struggle, they get to keep the card. If they struggle, they have to put it back. If they pull out one of the cards that says SNAP, they have to put all of the card they’ve drawn back. The first person to 5 cards (or 10) wins!

    Stair Chase: Place two sight word cards on each stair. Let them pick one sight word on the way up, saying the word and picking up the card when they get it correctly. Have them practice the other sight words on the way down.

    Coin Toss: Put words on the floor. Children take turns tossing a coin onto a word and saying the word. If they get the word correctly, they keep the coin. If you like, first to 10 coins wins. Or see if they can collect all of the coins.

    Concentration: Create two sets of word cards. Place the word cards face down. Have your child turn over two cards, trying to make a match. Continue until all of the words are matched.

    Play who am I? Lay out the word cards. Then give the child clues to what the selected word is. For example, if the word was “red,” you could say – I rhyme with bed. I had three letters. I end with the letter D. Have the child locate the word.

    Chalk Writing: Go outside and practice writing the sight words with chalk on the sidewalk.

    Beat the Clock: See how many times your child can write a word in one minute. Or see how many flash cards your child can read in one minute.

    Words You Can Eat: Write your words in whipped cream, peanut butter, carrots or anything you can eat.

    Who has more? Flash words cards to your child. If they read the word within 5 second, they get to keep the card. If not, you keep the card. If the child has more cards than you at the end, they win.

     Salt Tray: Grab a tray or baking sheet with edges. Pour in salt. Write the word in salt. When your child says it correctly, they get to erase the word.

    Having them write them out in fun ways helps them learn the spelling, too. You can make words using:

    ·           Playdough

    ·           Stencils

    ·           Wiki sticks

    ·           Alphabet stamps

    ·           Scrabble tiles

    ·           Magnetic letters

    ·           Legos

    ·           Popsicle Sticks

    ·           Salt on a Tray

    ·          Sidewalk Chalk