A Simple Strategy to Review Sight Words

Are your student's struggling to learn their sight words?   Would you like an easy to use system with those students that targets just the words that they need?

I'm Christina from Hanging Around In Primary and I would like to share a simple, yet effective strategy I am using with my students this year.

When teaching sight words I do not have a specific order that I use nor do I follow a specific reading program.  We are fortunate in that we can teach with our choice of resources, so I use a mismash of things I have created, along with purchased resources to teach my students during our literacy block. You can check out a couple of blog posts {HERE} and {HERE} that I have written about the word wall on my own blog.

I believe strongly that students must learn their sight words or word wall words, as I call them, in order to be a successful reader.  Students need to develop an automaticity when reading them.  I want them to be able to read these words without sounding them out so in my classroom we say that these words are like popcorn - they pop right out without having to sound them out.

If your class is anything like mine, even when you spend time each and every week to review the words, some students just aren't getting them.  I needed to catch these kids and provide intervention by targeting the words they didn't know in a systematic way.

First off, I assessed each student and came up with a customized list of words they did not yet have. From this point I determined which words to work on first and prioritized.  Finally, I created customized flip books for each student that would be used to track their progress.

So, how does it work?  Good old fashioned practice!  I send home 5 flashcards at the beginning of the week in a special ziploc bag.  My parents LOVE flashcards - it is familiar to them and easy to do.  I suggest games they can play with the cards but my students often share that they just practice the flashcards.

On Friday I make time to meet with each of my target students (usually during read to self) and do a check in with the 5 words.  If they can read them with automaticity then they get to put a sticker beside the word in their flip book and I stamp their card.  They take the old cards home and I give them new flash cards.  Some weeks students need to continue to practice previous words, so they may only take home 2 or 3 new words.  My students love to put the stickers into their flip books and feel a sense of pride when we review all of the words in their flip book at the end of our check-in session.

I have found this to be a very powerful way to move kids forward in their sight word development.  I have had great parent support with this program because it is both easy to do and takes a little time each night.  

If you want to store this idea away why not pin this image!

Would you like to try it out?  Click below to download a free copy of the flip book to use with your students.

Thank you for checking out my post! 

Differentiated Sight Word Practice & Freebie

Hi there! Today I am here from K's Classroom Kreations to let you all in on how I use differentiated sight word lists in my first grade classroom. First of all, let me emphasize the importance of learning sight words, or our "see it and say it" words. I teach my students that they need to save their brain power for decoding challenging words. Sight words are often tricky to sound out and are used so frequently that as readers we are more efficient if we just recognize them instantly. 

I start by assessing all of my students on the 220 Dolch Sight Words. Although my county suggests that we start on List 1, I always start with Pre-Primer and Primer words because many of my firsties come in not having mastered these Kindergarten words. My goal is to see where each child is at to help best meet their needs. I do not want to skip over Kindergarten words for those who need them. At the same time, there is no reason to be giving one of my higher readers basic sight words when they need to be challenged like everyone else. 

Once I have a baseline, I create Sight Word Rings for each student. I simply hole punch the corner of index cards and use a key ring to attach them together. 

I print a label for the front of each set that encourages parents to practice words daily with their children (in line at the grocery store, in the car, before bed, etc.). For your own FREE copy of the labels (to be printed on Avery 2 inch X 4 inch labels, model  #5163 or plain paper) click the image below. Please note, when printing with Avery Labels, the PDF is formatted at the correct size so you may need to click "Print Actual Size" rather than fit to page, etc.

I then select the first 10 words that the child was unable to read instantly (within 3 seconds) and record one per side of the index cards. For students who are really struggling I do not suggest more than 5 words per week. 

The 10 words this child would have on their ring are " down, said, where, new, now, out, saw, that, there, they"

In addition to practicing these words during word work time, students take the word ring home each week and bring it back on Friday for assessment. We also practice grade level sight words daily during our morning routine. However, these individualized word ring lists seem to really help the most. Once students master both sides of the index card (I test with the cards out of order for true mastery) I take the card off and then replace it with a new card and the next unknown words on their list. 

Each month I highlight the words they have mastered in a new color on their overall tracking sheet. As you can see, children are able to work at their own level. It does take a decent amount of time to test each child but I usually try to schedule time with a parent volunteer or assistant for this purpose. Once they get the hang of the routine this is a simple yet meaningful task for them. 

Once a student masters all of their Dolch Sight Words (I have 4 first graders already this year!) I begin them on Fry's Top 1000. I start with list one and repeat the same process as before, just adding new lists as needed. I print multiple copies of the pages from this source here and keep them in a folder, all ready to go. 

Well, thats it! I hope you were able to see how easy it is to differentiate your sight word lists to make it a truly meaningful experience for each of your students. For more ideas be sure to check me out on my blog, K's Classroom Kreations. 

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Learning to Read and Spell Tricky Words

Hello, It's Christina from Hanging Around In Primary.  I am so happy to be guest blogging over here at Who's Who and Who's New.  It is an amazing honor!

I am a first grade teacher and have been for most of my career.  I absolutely love this age, especially the after-Christmas-oh-my-goodness-they-finally-get-it moments! 

Today I want to share with you some tips for teaching those tricky words.  You know the ones; those rule breaker words that our students cannot sound out.  These are the words that they just have to learn to {READ} memorize. I call these words Word Jail words.  

Every week I introduce 5 new words.  We don't have a set list to follow but I have developed my own go-to list and somewhat of an order over the years.  Most weeks the list will include a word that I like to call a Word Jail word - one of those nasty rule breakers. 

When I introduce the words each week we try to sound each word out.  The students quickly discover that the rules we know don't work when sounding out all words.  We then talk about why a particular word is tricky. 

When we take a closer look at each word and apply the decoding skills we have, we find that one or more of our weekly words just can't be sounded out - perhaps it has a silent letter or it has an unusual spelling.  I need to clarify here that a word that my first graders may consider a rule breaker may vary from your first graders or older students.  If I have not taught my kids about the soft c sound, for instance, they are going to cry out that {nice} is a rule breaker - it is, until they know there is a rule for the c sound.  I will put the word in jail if they believe it belongs there.

I believe strongly that kids need a hook to help them to learn to read and this just seems to work.  I find this especially true of the boys and this strategy definitely hooks my boys!  They love the jail. It is located right on the word wall as you can see from the picture above.  They love to put words there.  All of the words we decide are jail words go in "jail" and under the correct letter on the word wall.   Having those tricky words in one easy-to-read spot makes finding them easier, especially for some of those little ones who struggle with the number of words on the word wall.  This way the word can be found in two different places on the word wall.  







After I make a big production of putting a word in jail I like to take a moment to read through all of the words in the jail.  Again having all those tricky words in one place makes review of them much easier.  Throughout the week we will do "find and print" activities where I give them a word and they find and print it on their whiteboard.  My more competent students write a sentence using the Word Jail word.  There are many, many ways to practice sight words but these are some of our favorites. 

I run a modified version of the Daily 5 during my literacy block and I wanted my students to work on those tricky words then as well.  They often use the magnets and sit in front of the Word Jail and make words, they use markers and rainbow write them or make rainbow sentences.  During writing time I often see kids writing and then hear them exclaim "that's a Word Jail word" and run over to the word wall and check it out.  {there are often pencil marks all over the cards from kids pointing a little too closely} Frequently in reading we hunt for Word Jail words and I often see them swing their head towards the Word Jail when they spot one in a book.  Once they spot it in the Jail they are able to read it on the page.  That makes for a very happy teacher. 

I also created a pack of printables that includes 1 sheet for each of 35 word jail words.  Each printable reinforces a number of skills:  copying the word spelled correctly, identifying the correct spelling of the Word Jail word when it is presented with the misspelled version and crossing off the incorrect ones.  The students also have the opportunity to edit a sentence with a Word Jail word spelled wrong and to write their own sentence using the Word Jail word.  Included with this pack is also an editable file where you are able to insert your own words and create your own printable to match the words you would like to use.    

I have been using the Word Jail concept for years and I swear by it.  Kids need to learn their sight words so if I can make it just a bit more exciting, especially for the boys, then I think it needs to happen.  I never get tired of hearing them tell me when we are reading or writing that that they see a Word Jail word.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed reading about how I teach those tricky sight words.  If you are interested you can find the bundle of worksheets and Word Jail display and words here: 

The Word Jail - BUNDLE

The Word Jail -  A Must-Have addition to your Word Wall

You can find me over at my blog {HERE}.  Thanks for stopping by! 
  

Learn to Spell with Music!

        How many of you can remember the lyrics to an old camp song or your high school alma mater but can’t remember where you last put your keys?  Brain research supports the connection between music and memory. Students will retain information and/or facts by being engaged in musical activities! 

      We use several different songs to teach the spelling of 2-7 letter words in our classrooms. Children easily transfer the correct spellings to their writing and recognize the words when reading. 

2-Letter Word Song

For 2-letter words, we use the song "Row, Row, Row Your Boat".  
Here is a pocket chart showing the lyrics using the word "at".  

 This can easily be turned into a Center Activity.  Other 2-letter words you can use are: 

 be my in go me is it to on   

Prepare letter and words cards as follows:  NOTE: Use a different color ink for each word!   

1) Make 4 sets of letters of word    
Ex. m   y  m   y   m   y   m   y

2) Make 2 sets of each complete word   Ex. my      my  

3) Put these in a baggie and label it with the word

Click {HERE} to link to this FREE file

A student selects a baggie with a focus word.  They put the pieces in the pocket chart before singing. Then they record the focus word on their paper. 

 3-Letter Words
The song "London Bridges" works well with 3-letter words. We first use it when introducing the sight word "the".  Another memory-making activity is to celebrate with "THE" Day!  

The is a hard sight word to learn to read and spell. We have found that having a fun day introducing this word helps students learn this important sight word.

Pin a 3" by 5" card with the word the on your shirt or hang it around your neck in a plastic "pocket".  

As you walk around the room, point to your word and ask children to read it. If they know the word, give them a High 5 or a small sticker.  We do realize that they might know that word  AT THAT MOMENT but may forget it throughout the day.  Still, this creates excitement about learning a new word.  

       The best poem to use to practice the word “the” is The Itsy, Bitsy Spider.  This poem has 8 stanzas and EVERY stanza has the word "the" in it. (You know you want to check it out!) 

Write the poem on sentence strips and place them in a pocket chart. Have students search for the word "the" in the poem.  As you sing the poem, clap every time you come to the word "the"!  Later, make a Class book entitled......wait for it.....The Book.  Students draw something and then label it.

Example:

Draw a cat.  Write the cat.  
   Here is a picture of The Book.

Other Sight Word “books”  might be a  "My Book" or a "His and Her Book".  

Student pictures & writing examples might be:   My Mom   My  bike   OR  His dog    Her cat   His bike   Her coat 

4-Letter Words

They is a difficult word to spell so this song helps them remember to put an e and not the a as it sounds. Use these spelling songs to practice ALL the words on your Word Wall.  One day, sing some of the 4-letter words.  On another day, sing some 3-letter words or Word Family Words or Weekly Spelling Words.  Mix it up and have fun! Music is a great memory device!

5-Letter Words

We found the tune "Bingo" is very successful in teaching 5-letter words.  We have even taught nieces and nephews to spell their own names using this simple song.  We created a spelling song Shared Reading packet called "Sammy the Moose Loves to Spell".  Check it out by clicking this link. 

6-Letter Words  and 7-Letter Words

Two of the most frequently used but also misspelled words are friend and because. 
Students as young as Kindergarten can learn to spell these two words correctly the first time so they don't have to unlearn the wrong ways as they progress up through the grades! 

TEACHER RESOURCE CARDS

We prepared a set of cards with ALL the songs on them showing the tunes and lyrics.  Click Spelling Songs to link to the file at our website. 

Print and cut the cards and punch a hole in upper left hand corners. Connect them with a metal ring for easy access. 
Flip to each song as  you practice the words.

We hope you give these spelling songs a try!  They really work!  

Click here to visit our TPT "store" for LOTS of learning songs and FREEBIES!

Utilizing Downtime Like a Techie

Hi!  This is Autumn from The Primary Techie.  I am so excited to be blogging for Who's Who and Who's New today.  I am a first grade teacher and a techie wannabe.  Several years ago, my school bought smartboards for some of our classrooms.  I didn't know exactly how to use it, but I knew that I wanted to.  I started making resources that utilize my board and they have changed the way I teach.  I am so much more effective with my board than I was before it.  One of the areas that my board definitely helped me with was downtime.  You know those three minutes when you are waiting to go to lunch?  When you are on the phone with the office?  When you need to give immediate attention to a student and the rest of the troops need to fend for themselves?  These little moments happen every day, but they really add up.  I don't want this downtime for two reasons; #1) Our time at school is valuable and we don't want to waste it.  #2) When my firsties are not engaged, problems arise.  By keeping kids focused and engaged, almost all behavior issues vanish.

To fill these little moments, I use digital flash cards.  I call them "more FLASH less CARDS" because they are more exciting than flash cards.  They have sound effects and animations.  Most of my more FLASH less CARDS have three speeds to choose from - click to advance (you must click to go to the next), auto advance (they will go by themselves at a slower rate), quick advance (they go by themselves at a fast pace for a fun challenge).

I pin these resources directly to my desktop.  This helps me find them quickly.  At the beginning of every school year, I find a couple "little techies".  These are the kids who are a little more mature and problem solvers.  I teach them where our resources are saved and how to open them.  We practice this as a class.  I teach the little techies how to open and run each resource and I teach the class what they should be doing when these are on.  I have many versions of these digital flash cards.  I have sight words, letters, subitizing, and more.

 When the phone rings, I just say "Dolch Speed Read" and one of my little techies will go open dolch speed read flash cards for me.  This keeps my little guys focused and lets me do what I need to without worrying about them getting bored.  (Bored=Naughty!)  They are so well-trained that I have even had to step out of the room for a minute and come back to find them doing this.  These are open-ended so you don't need to actually "finish".  You can just stop it when you are ready to move on.
This has made such a difference in my room!  I hope that you can use this idea to help fill those little moments of downtime in your own classroom.  You can click on the images below to check out some of the more FLASH less CARDS in my store.

I am absolutely passionate about teaching in engaging and fun ways.  I want my kiddos to have so much fun that they don't realize they are learning.  Stop by The Primary Techie blog to read more!
Until next time,