Word Wheels: Idea #264

Have you ever seen a word wheel? Word wheels are a great way to help students learn how to read. Each word wheel focuses on a different word family (like -ad, -it, and -ed). All you do is turn the wheel to make different words in the particular word family. Since all of the words end the same, the only difference is what letter(s) are found in the beginning.

Check out this website to find free printable word wheels. Once your student has been introduced to word wheels, you will see how effective they are in helping your student learn how to read. Enjoy!

Sight Word Stars: Idea #261

Kids love things that glow-in-the-dark. Especially if they are afraid of the dark!Try making some glow-in-the-dark sight word stars that I found on this website. Here is what you do:

1. Have students cut out stars that you have drawn or printed out. Make sure that the stars are large enough to write a word that can be seen from far away. 

2.  Have students write one sight word on each star using glow-in-the-dark markers.

3. You can either hang each star with yarn from the ceiling or just tape the stars flat to the ceiling.

4. Once you turn the lights off, shine a flashlight near a star to see if your students can read the sight word. 


Students will love seeing their sight words when it's dark! Have fun!

Sight Word String Ups: Idea #235

A fun sight word craft you can do with your student is make sight word bead necklaces/bracelets. It is simple to do:

1. Make a list of the words you would like your student to master.

2. Buy some sight word string ups found here and some string/yarn.

3. Tell your student a word from your list and have them use the sight word string up letters to make the word on their string. 

4. Have your student wear the bracelet(s) every day for a week. The following week choose different words.

Your student will enjoy making this educational jewelry. Check out what else you can do with your sight word string ups here. Have fun!

Sight Word Heart Wreath: Idea #137

Kids love to learn even more when holidays are involved. Since today is Valentine's Day, why not help your student make a sight word heart wreath? It is simple to do and is an excellent way for your student to master those tough sight words. Here is what you do:

1. Get a paper plate and cut out the center of it.

2. Cut out a bunch of hearts using the paper of your choice. Then write a sight word on each heart.

I cut my hearts out of white paper and then colored them.
I used the heart pattern found on this website under 'Printable Heart Frame'.

 
3. Glue or tape the hearts on your paper plate.

 
4. Hang the wreath up so your student can be constantly reminded of their sight words. Have fun making this together and Happy Valentine's Day!

Glitter Sight Words: Idea #100

Kids LOVE glitter. Glitter is a great way to get kids excited about a sight word that they may be having difficulty with. I did this simple activity with my 1st graders about two years ago and they enjoyed it so much. Here is what you do:

1. Student writes sight word large on a piece of white paper (construction and cardstock work best). Make sure it is a sight word they are struggling with.

**When your student is writing the word, make sure they space out the letters or they won't be able to read the word with the glitter.**


2. Student traces word with glue (teacher may need to assist with this part).

3. Teacher pours glitter over the word. Once it is dry, hang up the word in a place your student can see it frequently and eventually take home.

 You could also try a glitter pen or multi colored glitter.

Have fun practicing sight words with your student!

Alphabet Quilt: Idea #96

When your student is practicing letter sounds, an alphabet quilt could be a great way to get them motivated. Each time your student masters a letter sound, give them a quilt square to decorate for that sound. Once they have mastered all of the letter sounds, the quilt will be finished. 

Here is what you do:

1. Get 26 pieces of paper. Make sure they are all the exact same size.

2. Each time your student masters a letter sound, give them another square. You can either print fun things for each letter sound off the internet or have them draw something.

I got my printed pictures from: www.TwistyNoodle.com

3. Once they  have mastered all 26 letter sounds, tape the squares together in alphabetical order. This is the back view.

4. Your quilt is complete! Place it in a somewhere your student can see frequently. My quilt is very simple, but you can decorate it and be as crafty as you wish with the completed product.

You can also make your alphabet quilt using photos, as shown on this blog: http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/decorating/paper-alphabet-quilt.html. 

OR

You can make an actual quilt (not made out of paper) for your student if you're super ambitious. Here is an idea: http://www.arbeedesigns.com/abc-baby-quilt/

Your student will love making this alphabet quilt! Have fun!

Alphabet Ornaments: Idea #88

I realize that Christmas is over, but I have a few more ideas you can use for next Christmas. Try putting your Christmas tree up on November 30 so that you have 26 days until Christmas. Each day add an ornament to the tree that begins with a letter from the alphabet. Your student can make the ornament or buy one. 

Here is an idea of how you could do it:

November 30- Letter sound: a       apple ornament
December 1- Letter sound: b          bell ornament
December 2- Letter sound: c          candy cane ornament
December 3- Letter sound: d          drum ornament
December 4- Letter sound: e           elf ornament
December 5- Letter sound f             Frosty the Snowman ornament
(continue the rest of the sounds through December 25)  

Have your student come up with the idea for the ornament, then you can help them make or buy it. There are lots of ideas online. Check out www.pinterest.com! What a fun way to help your student master letter sounds.

Santa's Alphabet Beard: Idea #74

As a kid I LOVED school crafts. Especially the ones we would make for the holidays. One of my favorites was making Santa's beard out of cotton balls. We would add a cotton ball every day in December until we got to Christmas day. I loved watching the beard fill up and realizing that Christmas was getting closer. Then, my wonderful mother would hang up the amazing Santa that I had made at school. I am sure she still has it to this day!

Since this is an educational blog, you may be asking how making a beard out of cotton balls could be educational. Well, what if your student could only add a cotton ball after they had mastered a letter sound?

This is how you could do it:

1. Print out a cute picture of Santa's face. Your student can color everything except for the beard. The website I used was: http://www.coloringpages7.com/

2. Draw 26 cotton ball size circles on his beard. You can trace the cotton ball if you want. It doesn't have to be perfect since the cotton balls will cover it up anyway. This is what mine looked like:

3. Write one letter of the alphabet on each circle.

4. Have your student glue a cotton ball on each letter sound that they have mastered. By this time in the year they should know more than just A and M! Once they have filled the beard with cotton balls, let your student add cotton balls to Santa's hat.

Hopefully by Christmas they will have all 26 letter sounds mastered and Santa's beard will be complete! Have fun!

Flannelboards: Idea #71

When you were a kid did your mom or school teacher ever tell you stories using a flannelboard? They are very effective. Kids are so captivated with them. Kids seem to love the way flannelboards look and feel. 

Try using a flannelboard to get your student excited about learning letter sounds. A great resource is the book 'Alpha Stories: Learning the Alphabet Through Flannelboard Stories'. Check out this book to discover how to incorporate these stories when introducing a new letter sound.

You could also make your own flannelboard alphabet stories. Here are some great websites with wonderful ideas and tips:

1. http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Easy-Felt-BoardFlannel-Board-Pieces/
2. http://babyparenting.about.com/od/activitiesandplay/a/flannelboard.htm
3. http://www.ehow.com/how_2046677_make-flannel-story-board.html
4. VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NNGAQxfZj8
5. VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZja62kZaUA

After you have made one flannelboard story,  you can use it over and over again. If this idea works well for your student, you could try it with another student or child later on down the road. I think you will enjoy making flannelboard stories. Your student will appreciate it too!

Alphabet Scrapbook: Idea #69

A fun way to get your student excited about learning their letter sounds is to make an alphabet scrapbook. 

This is what you do:

1. Give your student a camera (with your supervision). The student is to take a picture of something that begins with each letter of the alphabet. They can go outside or stay inside. They could go to the park or to a school or to a museum. They just need 26 pictures of things that begin with each letter of the alphabet.

2. Once they have 26 pictures representing each letter of the alphabet, they need to put all of the pictures in alphabetical order. 

3. The student then pastes each picture on a separate piece of cardstock to make a book. Another option is your student could get a photo album and put the pictures they took in the album. 

4. If your student is super crafty, they may want to make their scrapbook fancy and creative. Let them have fun with it. This is something that they can refer back to for years to come.

I hope you enjoy taking pictures with your student and watching them get excited about letter sounds.

Letter Mobile: Idea #26

I have a baby daughter, so I am always looking for toys she likes. One thing that she loves is her toy mobile that hangs from her pack 'n play. It keeps her entertained for extended periods of time. I made the connection the other day that it would be really easy to make a letter sound mobile. Maybe a 5 or 6 year old wouldn't be as mesmerized with a mobile as a baby, but they would probably enjoy making one. Here's what you do:

1. Get a sturdy hanger.

2. Decide on a letter sound your student needs to practice and write it on a piece of paper (about as big an a large index card). Then tape it to the middle part of the hanger.

3. Find pictures in the newspaper or in magazines that begin with that letter sound. Cut them out. Hole punch each picture at the top.

4. Get some thin string (I used floss) and tie each picture from the hole to the hanger.

5. Hang the letter mobile somewhere where your student can see it and be reminded of the letter sound frequently. 

FYI: I have found that regular paper tears easily while putting it on the string. You may want to try using paper or pictures that are a bit thicker, like cardstock. 

This is an easy activity for kids. Have fun making your mobiles!

Letter Shirt: Idea #23

When I was in 1st grade, my teacher asked each student in my class to bring in a white solid shirt on the last day of school. When we got to school, our teacher gave each of us puffy paint to sign our names on everyone's white shirts. I cherished my shirt and wore it all the time.

Now, I'm not saying that all kids are like me, but most kids enjoy making things. Try making a letter shirt with your student. It is simple to do. 

1. Buy a white shirt for your student (or find an old one) 
2. Write the letter that your student needs to practice really large on the shirt (in marker) or buy a shirt that already has the letter on it
3. Have your student draw pictures all over the shirt that begin with that letter sound (using marker)
4. Student can wear the shirt to be reminded of things that start with that letter sound

Make sure your student uses many colors when drawing the pictures. If they only use one color it will be more difficult to understand what is on the shirt!

Collage: Idea #17

Try making a collage with your student. It is easy and fun. Just pick the letter sound you want to work on and get started! Here is what you do:

1. Print off the letter that you need.

2.  Find pictures in magazines or in the newspaper that begin with that letter.

3. Paste the pictures on your letter:

(My pictures include starting from the top: sword, shake, socks, shoes, sweep, sheep, soldier, swan, sandwich, sun, ship, saw, sunflower, spoon, shirt, soccer).

4. Post the collage somewhere your student will see it as a quick reminder or reference.

If you do not have access to a newspaper, magazine, or computer, have your student draw pictures instead. It is still fun!

Letter Sound Art: Idea #15

When teaching your student or child letter sounds, try to incorporate art as much as possible. Creating something gives students a sense of ownership. When they create something, they have something tangible to remember the letter sound. For example, if your child needs extra help with the letter k sound, you may want to help them make a king's crown or a kitty cat.

Here are some ideas of things you could make for the letter K:

1. Make a king's crown and have your student wear it. Check out: http://www.ehow.com/how_4495178_make-paper-crown.html

 2. Make a paper kite. Check out: http://squishideasforpreschool.blogspot.com/2012/02/march-ideas-wind-hot-air-balloon-kites.html

3. Make a paper plate kitty to hang from your door knob. Check out: http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/catcrafts.html

4. Make a kiwi Christmas tree.Check out: http://ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com/kiwi-tree/2009/12/13/

5. Color a kangaroo page and cut it out. Check out: http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/KangarooCutandPaste.htm

Of course you can do this for any letter your student struggles with. You can find many crafty ideas online. You will find that later, when your child is trying to remember sounds, he/she will connect the art project with the letter sound. They may always think of the kiwi Christmas tree when remembering the k sound. Not only are these simple crafts fun, but also very beneficial for our students.

Puppets: Idea #8

In the lower elementary grades kids love puppet shows. Puppets are a great way to engage kids when they are learning something new. They especially enjoy the funny accents that teachers give their puppets. It is so entertaining for kids.

One thing I loved to do as a teacher was to introduce a letter sound using a puppet. For example, have a bird puppet introduce the b sound. Or a fairy introduce the f sound. My personal favorite was using a pirate puppet to introduce the p sound. My attempt at speaking like a pirate was quite humorous, but my students were totally engaged. From then on my students connected the p sound with pirate. 

Here are four different ideas for how to make your puppet:

1. Buy the puppet.
2. Make a paper bag puppet.
3. Make a finger puppet.
4. Make a sock puppet.