So this summer I did a lot of planning and a lot of prepping for my word work centers. I wanted them to be fun and challenging for my second graders. So, I came up with a plan to have my students have the option to do four different things during word work time. Also during this time I will pull a small group to work on reading strategies. I am always needing extra time to work with a small group.
I started out by teaching my kiddos the four different options for Word Work.
1. Practice spelling words. I have two different lists each week. My students are able to take the test Monday to find out whether they will be practicing the on-level list for the week or the advanced list. I have both lists posted in the room and students will refer to these words when they complete the spelling word center.
I have 6 different spelling activities they can do at this time. I currently am using the following activiites:
*rainbow write the words
*put the words in ABC order
*write the word and stamp the word
*write the words on dry erase boards
*roll and write the word
*use pipe cleaners to make the words
I keep the activities in a pocket chart on the back of my easel.
Spelling words are posted on the reading wall.
Students take these to their desk and complete the activity. They must turn in their work in the turn in basket for me to check.
So far the students love this!!! They are so excited to practice these words and they are able to come more comfortable with the skill we are focusing on for spelling that week.
Grab some of the word work worksheets for free below!
2. There is a green basket that has a fluency poem and worksheet. I am using the fluency first book to get my activities from. They read the poem and complete the worksheet to go with it. It is great practice for them. It reviews several skills and helps them be more fluent.
I am using this book to get my fluency papers. My students are at a high level this year so I am using the third grade book.
3. I also made a fluency center. This is one of my favorite spots in my room. The students sit at the stools with a partner. They have to use the timer to time one another. They are to read the phrases in less than a minute. Once they are able to do this successfully three times, then I will test them. If they pass, then they are able to move to the next set of cards.
The students fight over this center! They are also pretty good at it, so I am currently working on fluency passages for them to complete once they have mastered all the fluency phrase sets.
4. The last option (my favorite!!) is the special sounds center. This is where students will complete 3 different activities for each special sound. I call them special sounds because it is easier to group them altogether that way.
Here is a breakdown of the sounds they will practice:
Ai/ay
Ee/ea
Au/aw
Ou/ow
Igh/y
Oi/oy
Oo
Or
Ar
Ir/ur/er
Ough/oa
Ew/Ui/Ue
Air/Are
I store all the activities in this drawer system. I found this at Sam's club for $20!
They will play a game or complete a center activity, then each one has a worksheet to check for understanding. Then, the third activity is a book that focuses on this skill with a comprehension worksheet to go with it.
If they are able to complete each activity correctly, then they will take a quiz. I use engrade to set up quizzes. The students will take the quiz and if they pass they will move on to the next sound.
Each sound has a badge that goes with it. If they successfully pass they will have a badge placed on their locker. The kids won't stop talking about this. All they want is a badge for their locker! I'm thrilled something so simple can be so motivating.
Once they have passed all these, I am going to move them on to vocabulary activities. I am working on this also. Hopefully I will have some time to get that put together since I am still working on completing my special sound packets. (Eek!! I need to get moving!)
Check out below to see what packets I've completed so far. I hope to have the rest finished by the end of the month!
Check out some fun photos of my kiddos at work!!
I would love to hear how you do word work in your classroom! As you can see, I am all about allowing my students to have some choices and to make learning as much fun as I can. I also want then to work at their own pace and this allows them to do so. We are off to a great start, but I will keep you posted on how well the students do. Thanks for stopping by!
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