Spelling and Word Work Ideas

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be posting over here at Kinderland. This is the first post for me on this collaborative blog. It has been so wonderful to be a part of this great blogging community that gave the opportunity to be a part of the kinderland collaboration. Anyway, I'm Ms. Kerri from Ms. Kerri and Her Krazy Klass. You can check out my blog (but not until you've finished over here.)

I am a k-1 looping teacher. I get my students in Kindergarten and then keep them for 2 years. There are things I love about it and then things I am not so crazy about. One of the things that is difficult is that I have to keep things fresh more often. I need to change things up so the kids don't get bored with the same activities. One of those areas that needs a little work is word work and spelling. In the fall I implemented a menu for word work and writing. I love this idea and it helps me to not micromanage the kids. So here are a few things we do already: On Mondays, my kids take a pretest on the spelling words. Then we build each spelling word. On Tuesdays, we play the game sparkle. (This is one of my kids favorite games. The students get into a circle. I usually start with the student of the day. I tell them a spelling word. The first student says the word, then each student afterwards says a letter until the word is spelling. Then the next student says the spelling word again and the person after that says sparkle. The student after the sparkle has to sit down.) We also sort the words as a class on the promethean board. Wednesdays, we do a making words activity. I love this book. 

I think this is the book I have but it has a different cover. I think mine is an old print of the book. But I can look up words by spelling patterns or by the final word I want them to make. Thursdays, we play a game on spelling city. Have you checked out this website? My kids love playing hang mouse on it. I love it because they can do it all by themselves so it's good if I need to keep them occupied for a few minutes.  Fridays, we take our final test.  Meanwhile they have homework 2 night a week for spelling. I use a packet from Maggie from Maggie's Kinder Corner that is editable and I love it. It's her Editable Seasonal Word Templates for Spelling and Sight words.  They do a variety of activities during word work time. 

• One is the game boom. This is one that I learned from my mentoring teacher while doing my student teaching. I took a pringles can and craft sticks. I write all the sight words for the units on the craft sticks. Then I write boom on about 10-15 of them depending on how many words there are. The students pull out a stick, if they can read it they get to keep it. If they can't read it, it goes back in the can. If they pull out a boom, all their sticks go back in. 
• Another game is the Stinky Cheese game. It's similar to the boom game but there are different action cards. This game can be found in my Words that Pop Up Units on TPT. 
• They can use the ipods. I desperately need some new apps for these for word work. Any suggestions?
• They can use the computer.
• Write the room (I'm using my Wintery Mix pack on Tpt)
• Magnetic letters - They make the spelling and sight words with magnetic letters on cookie sheets.
• Popcorn words three ways. This is another activity from my Words that Pop Up Units. They color, stamp, trace and rainbow write the sight words.
• Write a card

It is time to change it up a bit. So I went to trusty old pinterest and found a few new ideas to try out.   I've seen this idea floating around and I think it's time to try it out. I have several cans of shaving cream that would be perfect for an activity like this.

Source: scribbledoodleanddraw.blogspot.ca via Kerri on Pinterest

Source: aturntolearn.blogspot.com via Kerri on Pinterest

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I think this idea has a variety of uses too. The kids could go by that word all day or play a 20 questions type game to figure out what the word is

Source: 1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Source: icanteachmychild.com via Shuna on Pinterest

So this post has gotten much longer than I planned on it being. But before I go, I have freebie to share with you. It's a sheet to have students rainbow write their words. I didn't put any words on it. They can choose whatever words you want.

Click here to get the file.

Stretchy the Snake Freebie

Hiya all

Shuna here

Have you heard about Stretchy the Snake?

If you are a kinder teacher I am sure that you have

These are a quick and easy center for the kiddos to practice those blending skills

Kelly from Kindergarten With Love posted about these and I fell in love with them

The kiddos place word cards inside and slide them out slowly to reveal one letter at a time and 

blend them together to make words

Come on over to my blog and pick the word cards to go inside for 

Peace out Peeps

CVC words

Are you working on CVC words in your classroom?


Head over to  Crayons & Curls and get a freebie to help your class!

Kindergarten Craft for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

HAPPY WINTER!!! Happy New Year!

I've so happy to have the opportunity to join forces here with the Kinderland Crew! 

I'm Debbie Clement and I blog over at Rainbows Within Reach, sharing the fun that I have making my "Author-Illustrator" school visits around the country. (Yes, I've written over 100 original songs for this age group and recorded them onto 6 albums. I've gone on to turn three of my ditties into the traditional picture book format!) 

A year ago, I had the great good fortune to go to the school of Caitlin of 'Kindergarten Smiles' fame, to spend the day singing and dancing. We all had such a great time. 



She directed her kindergarten students to make these glorious 'dream catchers' for me as my parting gifts. I have all of the photo-instructions for you to follow along, one step at a time over in this article at my blog. 

I also wanted to give all of the readers here a 'heads up' that my New Year's resolution has already taken shape. It has long been my DREAM to see more collaboration between educators. To that end we (hubby + moi) have just launched a super-cyber store specific to this age group, near and dear to my heart. We are calling it the, 

EARLY EDUCATION EMPORIUM!!

You'll see many of the authors here opening their own shops under our big polka-dot umbrella over the weeks and months ahead. The more the merrier! It's fun getting this up off the ground. Come see what your peers have to share! There are already professional development books, digital products for immediate download, brain packs for parents, an eBook, Classical music for brain breaks..... well you get the idea! 

Click right here to go shopping in your jammies! 


Are you following my Pinterest account? I now have over 83,000 who follow my preferences and pin-finds. As an old Elementary Art teacher I have a preference for images that support visual learners and excellence in education. 


I also have a brand new little store opened up at Teachers Pay Teachers -- where you can download my songs in zipped files with Mp3 versions and support materials included! Come over there to get a FREEBIE sample and get acquainted. 

So glad to have the support of my Kinderland friends!! 

-- Debbie -- 

Digi Paper

Hiya Peepers 

Shuna here

Long time no post huh

I have been dabbling with creating digi papers

Here is my first little creation

You can pick them up for free by clicking below

Peace Out Peeps

Games for Intervention

Hi friends! 

If you have been to my blog you know that I LOVE playing games with my kids. We are really big on “Bang!” and “I have…Who has”

We play them in whole group, when we have 5 minutes before lunch, or right before we walk out of the room to go home.

Or we use them during intervention time. When we have someone who can pull kids they will grab one of my multiple games based off the groups ability and needs.
(Sorry for the apple games, don't have any new pics!)

Here are a couple of my games! My kids love it!

These are great to differentiate because you can select the level of the cards.

I have this printed out and ready for my kiddos, it is a 0-10 Bang! Game! Oh did I mention it is FREE?!

Click Here

Swing by and visit me any time!

Fabulous Friends Giveaway

I have a great, little "Fabulous Friends Giveaway" going on right now!  With help from my friends here at Kinderland,  I have 12 great prizes to giveaway.   It ends on Friday, Jan. 4!  Check it out!!

To sign up for the giveaway click here. 

Fabulous Friends Giveaway

The Prizes

From Me - Kindergarten Faith!!

 

From My Friends

 

 

Kindergarten Faith

New Year Freebie! :)

Happy New Year!  I hope you all have a safe and happy new year!  2013 is already shaping up to be a great year for me!  I'll be presenting at the NSTA (National Science Teachers' Association) conference in San Antonio this April and am anxiously awaiting news about my PAEMST award--to D.C or not to D.C! :)  I have to wait until May/June to find out, so cross your fingers. :)

I have a freebie for you! I was trying to come up with a simple Literacy Work Station that my kids could do that would tie into our community helper theme.  This is a dice roll game, intended for use with the 4 1/2 inch clear pocket dice that you can use and change out the pictures.  I've also included two recording sheets, one is great for readers or emergent readers and the other has the words and pictures on it for pre-readers.

Just click the picture below to go to my TPT store to download it...while you're there, check out my sale! My whole store is %15 off until the 4th. :)


Kristen

from Kristen's Kindergarten
www.kpoindexter.wordpress.com