Step N Spell: Idea #335

If you're looking to practice sight words or spelling words, you should try the game Step N Spell. It is super easy to play:

1. Put the large plastic Step N Spell mat on a flat surface (the mat contains all of the letters of the alphabet).

2. One player calls out a spelling/sight word to the jumper.

3. The jumper jumps on the letters to spell the word.

4. Then the players switch roles as a caller or jumper. Keep playing until you have practiced all of the spelling/sight words.

You can find Step N Spell mats here. Make sure to have your students watch closely as fellow classmates jump from letter to letter on the mat to spell words. I hope your students enjoys this active game!

Word Family Slam: Idea #272

Does your student love throwing balls? If so, they will love playing the Word Family Slam game. I found it on this website. This is how you play:

1. PREPARATION: Get 15-20 index cards. Choose two or three word families (or 15-20 sight words) you would like to work on. Write one word family word on each card. For example, if practicing -at, -og, and -et, make cards with these words: cat, mat, hat, pat, sat, fog, hog, log, dog, jog, let, pet, wet, yet, jet, get, set, vet, bet, net, met, etc.

2. Tape the cards to the wall.

3. TO PLAY: Say a word that is found on the wall. Student then finds the word and slams it using a ball (beach ball, or something soft). Continue playing by saying each word found on the wall.

4. To mix things up have your student choose the word he would like to hit. Have him find it on the wall and sound it out on his own. Then let him hit it with the ball. 

Play as long as you would like and of course have fun!

Sight Word Safari: Idea #267

A great way to practice sight words is to look for them in our every day lives: in the grocery store, at our house, at school, on the road, etc. Kids love going on word hunts. Try the following activity with your student that I found on this website:

1.  Review all the sight words your students have learned so far.

2. Give each student a clipboard with paper and pencil. Have students write down sight words that they find during their walk around the school.

3. Once you have completed the walk around the school, review the sight words that your students found on their walk.

What a fun way to show your students that sight words are everywhere!

Leaping Lilypads: Idea #258

Looking for an educational and active game? Try playing Leaping Lilypads. I found the game here. This is how you play:

1. PREPARATION: Choose about 10-12 sight words and write each one on an index card. Then get another  10-12 index cards and write those same words again. 

2. Tape/glue the first set of index cards to tagboard cut into lilypad shapes. Make sure the lilypads are large enough for students to jump on!

3. Arrange the lilypads with the index card side faceup on the floor. Tape them to the floor. Put the other set of index cards face down in a pile.

4. TO PLAY: Student picks a card from the pile of index cards and must read what it says. Then the student is to jump to the lilypad that says the same word.

5. Have the student continue to pick cards until they have picked every card in the pile and jumped on every lilypad. Be sure to help your student with the jumping if they need it and have fun!

Horse: Idea #255

Want to play more outside sight word games with your students? Try playing the game Horse with a sight word twist. This is what you do:

1. Choose one sight word that you would like your students to practice. For example: like.

2. Line up your students.

3. Player 1 attempts to make a basket. If Player 1 makes it, Player 2 must make the same basket, at the exact same spot. If Player 2 makes the basket, then Player 3 and the rest of the players attempt to make the basket as well. 

4. If Player 2 does not make the basket, Player 3 gets to be the "leader". 

5. Every time a player misses a shot, they add a letter to their score. The first person to get all the letters in the sight word (l-i-k-e) looses the game.

6. The last person still in the game wins!

Have fun playing in the sun!

Sight Word Baseball: Idea #253

Do your students enjoy playing sports? If they do, try playing Sight Word Baseball. I found the idea on this website. Here is how you play:

1. PREPARATION: Get four levels of sight word flashcards. Each level should be on a different piece of colored paper (for example: level 1- blue cards, level 2- green cards, etc). Each color/level also represents a type of hit in the game. Make sure you make a poster that includes that information that is clear for the players to see. 

2. Mark the four following spots in the room: 1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base, and homeplate. 

2. TO PLAY: Divide students into two different teams. Let them choose a team name.

3. One team is home and the other are visitors. Mix up the flashcards.

4. One student draws a flashcard and goes to homeplate. Make sure to match the color with the kind of hit they are trying for.

5. If the student reads the flashcard correctly, they play according to the kind of hit on the card. (A single- move 1 base, a double- move 2 bases, a  triple- move 3 bases, and a homerun- go homeplate). Be sure to have strike out cards in with the sight word flashcards.

6. If the student can't read the sight word, it is an out.

7. Once a team gets 3 outs, the other team gets a turn to "bat".

8. Play to whatever score you wish. 

May the best team win!

Sight Word Stomp: Idea #245

Looking for an active sight word game? Try playing the Sight Word Stomp found on this website. Just put some sight words on the floor, face up. Then yell out a word and have your student stomp on it. Kids love playing!

To make the game easier for kids, write the sight words on 8.5x11 pieces of paper so a student can easily fit their foot on it. If more than one kid is playing, the first one who stomps on the right sight word, wins.

This game can get intense. Do you think you're ready for it?

Red Light, Green Light: Idea #243

Do you remember playing the game Red Light, Green Light as a kid? Well, kids still love playing that game. Try making it educational by putting a sight word twist to it. I found the idea here. This is how you play:

1. One person is the traffic cop while the rest of the players line up against the wall facing him.

2. The traffic cop decides when to say green light or red light or yellow light. When he says green light, the players can run towards him. When he yells red light, the players must stop. When he says yellow light each player must identify a sight word on a given flash card. If they can read it, they can take a giant leap, otherwise they just stay in their spot.

3. Any player who moves when the traffic cop says red must go back to the wall (or the starting point).  They can avoid going back to the start if they can read a sight word flash card.

4. The first player to get to the finish (or to where the traffic cop is standing) wins the game and becomes the new traffic cop. Before they can become the new traffic cop, they must be able to read 5 given sight words.

Have fun playing!

Sight Word Duck, Duck, Goose: Idea #242

One of my favorite games to play as a kid was Duck, Duck, Goose! Most kids enjoy this game because it is active and most importantly, you get to chase someone. Try playing this game using sight words. Here are two different ways you could play it using sight words:

OPTION #1: Make some game cards that have two sight words on each card. As a 'goose' or chaser is chosen, have them draw a card. The chaser then reads the two sight words to the other game participants, using those words as he goes around. For example, if the card he drew said: go   the, he would use those words as he went around the circle. So, he would say, "go, go, the" instead of duck, duck, goose.

OPTION #2: Give each player a sight word card to tape on their back. As the chaser goes around the circle, they replace saying goose with the sight word that they see on the student the student's back. For example, if the chaser wanted to choose a student whose sight word was so, this is what the chaser would say, "Duck, duck, so!"  

Try both options and see which one works for you. What a fun way to be active and learn sight words!

Make a Movie: Idea #195

If your student is getting bored reading certain books, try acting them out. Kids find this very entertaining and fun. 

Just have your student read the story out loud, while you act out what is said. If there are several characters you may need more people to help. You could also try doing all of the characters yourself to make it even more interesting.

Your student will probably want a chance to act out the story as well, so take turns reading and acting out the story. You could even have them recorded and posted on youtube. Have fun!

Diving for Sight Words: Idea #194

It's starting to get warmer outside. Your student may want to go swimming soon. Why not take a trip to the pool and make it educational? Your student will love diving for sight words. It is both fun and easy to do!

Just get some sponges and write a sight word on each one. Make sure that you write the words big enough that your student can read them from far away. Also, write the sight word on the front and the back of the sponge in case it flips sides in the water.

Once you have written a word on each sponge, put them in the pool. Have your student stand at the side of the pool while you call out a sight word found on one of the sponges. Your student then jumps or dives into the water to find the sponge that says that particular word.

You could also try this a different way. Write a different letter on each sponge. Then call out a sight word to your student. Your student then has to find the correct sponges to spell the sight word. 

This is a fun active game that helps with reading and spelling. If your student can't swim yet, try playing this in the shallow end of the pool. If your student is afraid of water, you may try filling a plastic tub or bowl of water and put the sponges in there. Your student will love feeling refreshed with a little water!

Sight Word Ping Pong Toss: Idea #193

Does your student love hands-on activities? Does your student like sports? If so, you should try the Sight Word Ping Pong Toss that I read about here. It is simple to play:

Get some ping pong balls and write a different sight word on each ball. Then give the balls to your student. Tell your student to throw a certain ball to you. For example, "Throw the are ball to me." Your student then looks through the ping pong balls and throws the correct one to you. Once all of the ping pong balls have been thrown, have your student tell you the words he needs and throw the balls back to him. As long as your student is engaged, keep tossing the balls. Your student will learn those sight words soon enough!

Egg Hunt: Idea #182

Did you know that hiding Easter eggs can be educational? Especially when your student is learning sight words. Just write a sight word on each plastic or real egg you hide. Then call out a sight word and have your student find the egg that has that sight word written on it. 

You could also try this activity using flash cards. Just hold up a sight word flash card and have your student read the card outloud. Then have your student find the egg with that sight word. To make it more fun for your student, let them eat the candy found in the egg! Happy Easter!

Sight Word Ball: Idea #172

It's starting to get warmer, so kids are going to want to be outside in the sunshine. Most kids enjoy throwing a ball, so you may want to try playing sight word ball. I found out about this great game on the Kids Activities Blog. This is how you play it:

1. Get a beach ball and write a bunch of sight words on it with a permanent marker.

2. Throw the ball to your student. Your student must read all of the words on whatever color they catch.

OR 

When they catch the ball, call out a sight word and your student must find that word on the ball.

OR 

When your student catches the ball, have them put their nose on a word and read the word that their nose is touching.

OR

Have your student catch the ball, touch a word, read it, and then spell it to you (without looking).

This is the perfect game to play when you don't have a ton of time to practice and best of all, kids LOVE it! Have fun in the sun!

Snowball Fight: Idea #163

I didn't really like snowball fights as a kid. It just seemed like someone always got hurt. However, I was recently introduced to a paper snowball fight a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Here is what you do:

1. Get about 20 pieces of white paper.

2. Write a different sight word on each piece of paper.

It is better to use a full sheet of paper. I just pulled this piece out of the recycling bin!

3. Crumple each piece of paper into a ball.

 
4. When finished, put the crumpled balls all over the room.

5. Tell your students they can throw the paper snowballs until you ring the bell. When they hear the bell, they must pick a snowball up. Then each student takes a turn reading their word. If they can read the sight word, they receive points according to the point scale below:
                        4 letter sight word: 4 points
                        3 letter sight word: 3 points
                        2 letter sight word: 2 points
                        1 letter sight word: 1 point
                        Student can't read word: 0 points

6. Continue having a snowball fight as long as you wish, ring the bell periodically to give students points and see what words they know. For the last round you may want to double the points, just for fun! 

7. The student with the most points at the end of the snowball fight wins!

This would be a fun activity for a rainy day or just to get your student moving!

Sight Word Red Rover: Idea #160

I loved playing the game Red Rover as a kid. I thought it was so fun to play a game that involved so many other kids. To play this game you may want to invite your entire class or your neighborhood friends to join in the fun. Here is what you do:

1. Give each kid a plain colored t-shirt (or ask each child to bring one in).

2. Give each student a different sight word (either verbally or written on a piece of paper).

3. When the student receives their sight word, they are to write the sight word on their t-shirt. Make sure that your student writes it large enough so that people can see it from far away. Then have each student put their t-shirt on.

4. Divide the class into two equal teams. Have each team  join hands and face the other team.

5. Team 1 goes first. They decide on a person from Team 2 and say the following, "Red Rover, Red Rover, send <sight word> right over." The person with that particular sight word on their shirt then runs to the opposing team, trying to break through the linked hands. If he breaks through, he can choose someone to go with him back to his team. If he doesn't break through, he must stay with the opposing team.

6. Play the game until all the team players are on one side. If you don't have a ton of time, the winner is the team with the most players.

Have fun!

Letter Sound Twister: Idea #87

Are you looking for ways to motivate your child over the holiday break? Why not try teaching them how to play Letter Sound Twister? This game should be played with more than one person, so please invite others to come play with your student.

Here is what you do:

1. Preparation before playing: Choose 4 letter sounds your student needs to practice.

2. Write on your twister board and mat the different letter sounds. For example, if you choose: E, I, G, and Q, write each letter on a different color dot. You would write E on all the red dots, I on all the green dots, G on all the yellow dots, and Q on all the blue dots.

3. Now that the preparation is done, you can start playing. The only difference in playing Letter Sound Twister is when you spin the dial to a certain letter, everyone playing must think of one thing that begins with that sound. If someone can't think of something, they are out of the game.

4. If you spin and it lands on the yellow dot for the letter G, all players must tell you a word that begins with that letter sound. They should all be different things. Proper nouns are okay. Then they must move their hand or foot to the correct location.

5. The first player to fall down or to not think of a word that begins with the letter sound, looses the game.

I hope your student enjoys this active game!

ABC Charades: Idea #59

Charades is a fun game for students to play. It can be both entertaining and educational. All you need for ABC Charades are some straws and an index card. Here is what you do:

1. Count out 26 straws.

2. Get an index card and cut it into 26 little squares.

3. Write A-Z on the 26 little squares.

4. Staple the A-Z squares on the 26 straws.

5. Put the straws in a LARGE glass.

6. Have a student come up and pick a straw out of the glass.

7. The student announces what letter he/she received to the audience/class. The student then thinks of something that begins with that letter sound, whispers the word to the teacher, and acts it out.

8. The audience/class yells out what they think it is. The student gets 1 minute to act it out. If no one is able to guess it, the student must go again and choose another straw. Once someone guesses it, the guesser gets to have a turn.

What an exciting way to practice letter sounds! Have fun!

Bowling: Idea #58

If your student enjoys sports or is really active, you might think about incorporating sports into your lessons. It is simple to do. For example, if your student loves to go bowling, here is how you could make it educational:

1. All you need are some flashcards, a bowling ball, bowling pins, and a scoreboard.

2. Divide your students into two teams. Have them form a line with their team.

3. Invite the first person from each line to come to you. Show them one of your flashcards (they can have letters, or sight words, or short words to sound out). The student who yells out what is on the flashcard first gets to bowl. They can also get points for their team (depending on how many pins are knocked over). The student who wasn't first, simply goes to the end of their team's line.

4. Invite the second players in line to come up to you. Show them one of your flashcards. The student who yells out what is one the card first gets to bowl. Continue this process until every student has had a turn or one of the teams have achieved the goal score of your choice.

This is great practice and a fun way to get your students actively learning.

Alphabet Hopscotch: Idea #45

When I was a kid, I loved hopscotch. So, I have come up with a way to play hopscotch and practice letter sounds. I call it Alphabet Hopscotch. Here's what you do:

1. Get some sidewalk chalk and draw a hopscotch design on the ground. Make sure there are ten boxes, similar to this:

2. Instead of writing the numbers 1-10 in the boxes, choose ten letter sounds that your student needs to practice and put them randomly in the boxes, similar to this:

3. Give your student a rock or something small to throw on the squares.

4. Starting with the first letter on your hopscotch design, your student throws a rock to land on the first square. Before going, the student must tell you what sound it makes. If my student was using the hopscotch design above, he/she might say, "E makes the e sound" before jumping. The student is to skip the square that has the rock in it.

5. Once the student has finished hopping, they are to throw their rock on the second square. They are to look at the letter, say the sound, and then hop, skipping the box that has a rock in it. If my student was using the hopscotch design above, he/she might say, "J makes the j sound" before jumping.

6. If the student doesn't know a letter sound, allow another student to have a turn, or even the teacher.

Have fun practicing at recess!