Word Work
Word Work is part of our Daily 5. In first grade, your child practiced different sound pictures (spelling of the sound) and how they relate to the different sounds heard. They learned many different ways to practice their sound focus each week. This year, we may still have children with the need to learn and practice the sound pictures, but our bigger focus will be with vocabulary and word use. Should your child need review of the first grade skills, this will be done within small groups, while the vocabulary will be done with everyone.
This page is a resource for you. When using the activities and example word lists below, please do not limit your children to these words only. These word lists are not for memorization and they are not spelling lists. Your child needs to make a connection between the sound picture and sounds heard, and then apply that knowledge into his/her reading, writing, and spelling.
This page is a resource for you. When using the activities and example word lists below, please do not limit your children to these words only. These word lists are not for memorization and they are not spelling lists. Your child needs to make a connection between the sound picture and sounds heard, and then apply that knowledge into his/her reading, writing, and spelling.
Suggested Activities for Practice
Below are some suggested activities for practicing phonics and words at home.
Spelling BeeInteractives Spelling Bee is a website that is leveled by grade. After choosing the level, type in your name, and it takes you to a story with missing words. Listen to the story, then type in the words and check your work!
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WordleCreate word clouds with the site called Wordle! Type the hardest word 10 times, the next hardest word 9 times... the easiest words 2 times. Click "randomize" to change the look, or customize with the layout, font, and color choices. Print to use it to practice reading and spelling your words
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Spin and SpellThis website has you choose a topic, then shows you images of things. Click an image, then on the letters of the Spin and Spell spinner to spell the words.
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Spelling WizardGo to Scholastic.com to use the Spelling Wizard to make word scrambles and word searches. Just type in 10 of your words, and click which thing you want to do. You can do the activities online or print them to practice.
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Catch the SpellingChoose one of the many categories of words to practice spelling with Catch the Spelling games. Check out the Dolch Sight Words and the 1,300 Spelling Words lists.
Use American Sign Language to spell your words!
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KidsSpellType in your words to practice any list with games! Look below the Example Word Lists for some links to the lists I already typed in for you. All you have to do is play the games!
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Paint in a BagDo you do better with sensory type activities? Try putting a small amount of paint in a gallon Ziploc bag. Be sure there is no air in the bag and that it is sealed completely. You may to work in a protected space in case your bag leaks. Use your finger or a soft object like a Q-tip to write your words. Wipe your flat hand across the bag to erase.
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Letter QuizThis interactive letter board can be used in multiple ways, but you can use it to practice brainstorming words for your sound of the week! Letter Quiz will flash the first letter. Say and spell a word that begins with the letter. Don't forget it needs to match your sound focus. Choose which color is for correct answers and which is for incorrect answers. After answering, click the color to show if you answered it correctly or not. Click on the next letter you would like to use. See how many you can get right!
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geoGreetingThe website called geoGreeting is a fun way to practice words. Type in the words (up to 40 characters) and then click the "preview here" to watch your words be turned into the top views of buildings shaped like letters!
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Listen to your wordsType in words and listen to vozMe read them to you! You can choose a male or female voice. Then you can also download the mp3's for your words being read!
If you would like a more natural sounding voice, go to Natural Reader and either type in your words in the "try it" spot, or download the free software. |
IconscrabbleUse Iconscrabble to turn your words into computer Icon versions! Just type your words and click "scrabble".
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PuzzlemakerWant to create a word search with your sound focus words? Just follow the steps on Discovery Education's Puzzlemaker to create your own puzzle to print!
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The Great Word RaceUse one of these sheets to play a word game race. 3 versions are available in this download.
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Short Vowel GamesThe website Learning Games for Kids has some fabulous resources for practicing short vowels. They are grouped by each short vowel sound or you can do a review of all the sounds.
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Complete the WordThis Spelling Match Game is a resource from Houghton Mifflin (we do not have the series at school) that practices spelling skills. The children choose a grade level, then just randomly choose a lesson to play.
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Suggested AppsApps Gone Free is a site that gives suggested apps you can download for free or purchase. They have many reviews for iphone, ipad, smartphone, etc. apps.
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Fill in the BlankTake turns writing sentences with your child using words that have the sound focus for the week. Once you have practiced making sentences, begin placing blanks lines instead of the sound focus words. Take turns filling in the blanks!
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ScattergoriesUse the letter die from the game of Scattergories. Have your child write a list of all the words s/he can think of that begin with the letter. Go through the list together and discuss what words mean, how to use them in a sentence, and how to sound them out to spell them correctly.
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BoggleUse a handful of boggle letter cubes and roll them onto the table. Remind your child which sound s/he is focusing on in class and how it is spelled. You can write it on a scrap of paper as a visual. Use the boggle cubes and the sound focus to create as many words as you can. You can also go to an interactive Boggle board at TeacherLed.com.
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Create RhymesCheck your child's understanding of sounds and meaning by creating rhymes together. The rhymes can be silly but need to make sense. Ask your child how each of the rhyming words would be spelled.
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Spelling CityVocabularySpellingCity is a free, educational website that enables parents to add individualized vocabulary and spelling lists. Children of all ages and learning abilities can use their own personalized lists in a variety of learning activities that help to reinforce and correct spelling and word meaning through fun learning games. Registration is free. The majority of their learning activities are printable as well - they even offer handwriting practice worksheets!
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Free Sight Words Computer ActivitiesHere are some sight word activities that you can download for free onto your computer. No website searching for your children, just click and go.
Sight Words Buddy for Windows Sight Words Sentence Builders for Windows |
ClothespinsTake a package of wooden clothespins and put a letter of the alphabet on each one. You will find as your child uses them that you will need some letters duplicated, so you may want to have a bag of extra clothespins. Say a word to your child and have him/her create the word by clipping the clothespins onto a straight edge (ruler, table edge, curtain, etc). Check the spelling and give a new word. You could also give a clue or meaning of a word and have him/her think of the word before spelling it.
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Word SortsHave your child write words from the sound focus of the week on index cards or post-it notes. Tell your child a category in which the words could be sorted (i.e. nouns, verbs, rhyming, number of syllables, by sounds, etc.). If your child puts words into a category that you did not predict, ask your child why s/he sorted them that way. You can discuss why it was a good choice, or a wrong choice.
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Example Word Lists
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/u/sound pictures u, o, o-e, ou
sound heard short u
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/ae/sound pictures a, ai, ay, eigh, a-e, ei, ey
sound heard long a
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/ee/sound pictures ee, ea, y, ie, e, e-e, ey
sound heard long e
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/ie/sound picture i-e, i, y, igh, ie
sound heard long i
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//sound picture
sound heard // |
//sound picture
sound heard // |
//sound picture
sound heard // |
//sound picture
sound heard // |
//sound picture
sound heard // |
//sound pictures
sound heard // |
//sound pictures
sound heard // |
//sound picture
sound heard //
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