Click , Clack , Kids! ... Teachers That Type: Word Work: CVC Practice

We try differentiate our word work group activities as much as possible.

After administering Letter ID, Sound ID, and the Spelling Inventory from Words Their Way (a developmental spelling, phonics, and vocabulary program), we form goals for students and plan specific activities for each group.

For example, one group might be working on identifying letters, while another group is working on spelling with initial consonants, and another working on spelling with final consonants.

Preparing, organizing, and maintaining so many activities can be completely exhausting, so we especially love the activities that every group can do, but can be modified for their specific goals.

Here is one of our all-time favorites because it can be used in a variety of ways:

One student, the "teacher", slides the question mark
to cover a letter.

"Can you write mop?"

The group writes the word on their mini-boards and
the "teacher" uncovers the letter.

"Let's see what the last letter is..."

Then they check!

"I did it!"

"Yes! Leg!"

Each group will cover a different part of the word depending upon what they need to work on...the initial consonant, final consonant, or middle vowel. They could even cover the picture if a group needs to work on decoding CVC words. We each group know which part they need to cover of course.

In our classes, we have a lot of beginner English Language Learners so sometimes it's hard for them to name the pictures for which they don't know the English word. We like to play some quick games during transitions or on the line before we leave the classroom to help them learn new words. For instance, using our word work cards, we might show a picture of a mug and a pad, and name them for students. Then say, "I can write on a...mug or pad?" "Pad!"

You might be wondering, "What are those yellow bone-shaped things with the words and pictures that the kids are using??" Chrissa received them through a DonorsChoose grant over 10 years ago; she has no idea what they're called or how to even Google them online...searching 'yellow bone-shaped things with the words and pictures' produced some very interesting results.

But no worries, we were able to recreate these tools for you to print, laminate, cut up and use! These are even cuter than the yellow ones above!