Showing posts with label Literacy Stations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Literacy Stations. Show all posts

Monday, August 20, 2012

Sight Word Parking Lot

About ten years ago I went to a district workshop about phonemic awareness. At the workshop, we also discussed sight word vocabulary and the presenter showed us a really clever game to review sight word vocabulary. It is called Sight Word Parking Lot and it is a great game to use for small group work or during your literacy stations, daily five work work, etc.

You can easily make one with a piece of paper and a marker. You make parking spaces on the sheet and write a different sight word in each parking spot. Then, you give each child in the small group a matchbox car. On each turn, you say a sight word and they drive their car into that parking space. Easy and fun!

Here is a picture of the board with a car:






I made five boards with ten words on each board. I used fifty of the most common sight words for kindergarten. You can make your own, too. I suggest laminating the boards.





Friday, July 20, 2012

How Many Syllables? Great Game for Common Core



One of the games I love to play with my students is "How Many Syllables?" It is very easy and fun. It is also perfect for the reading/foundational skills for the Common Core ( RF.K.2). 

I show the class pictures and we identify the number of syllables in each word. Sometimes I use a pocket chart and sometimes I use it as a word work activity during literacy stations.

Once the children understand the concept of syllables, the games goes rather quickly. Many children learn to count syllables by either tapping or clapping. I once went to a workshop and the presenter taught us a really cool way to present it to children. She told us to place our hand flat under our chin. Go ahead...try it. Now say a word like "telephone." Count how many times your chin hits or taps your hand (the times your jaw drops). That's the correct number of syllables!

I love this game because it reviews an important concept and it is really quick and easy. It is also great when you need a five minute transition activity.  My old set was getting rather worn, or as I like to say in my classroom "well-loved." So, I made new picture cards. There are number cards from 1-3 because I only made pictures with 1, 2, or 3 syllables. I plan on laminating them.