Scott Adcox

Doing More With Less Since 1972

Tag: 1st grade (Page 2 of 3)

Stamp A Word – Lesson Idea #30

May 23, 2008 / / 0 Comments

This is a fun and engaging way to have your kids practice building and blending words! You’ll need plenty of paper, and letter stamps – you can use letter stamps with ink pads, foam letters and finger paint ( you can find foam letters at the dollar store!), or you can even use letter stickers.

  1. Have a list of words ready – high frequency words and/or words pulled from a book or selection you are reading with your child that have letters and sounds you have already introduced.
  2. Tell your child that you will write a word or show them a word card for them to make their own by stamping/painting/sticking it onto the paper. To make it more challenging, simply tell your child that you will be calling out the word for them to make – then if they need help, you can write it or show them the word card.
  3. Once your child makes the word, have them blend each sound together from left to right slowly before going back to quickly read the whole word.
  4. Have your child go back and quickly read all of the words they made when finished for some extra fluency practice.
  • Here’s another way you can change this up once they got the hang of it: Call out the letters that make a word for your child to stamp/paint/stick, then have them try to blend the word together and see if they can read and tell you what word you spelled out for them. They love this part!
  • Note: You can use irregular words (words that are exception to the rules: ex: the, was, one) with this activity, but tell your child to read them without trying to blend the sounds together.

Play Dough Letters – Lesson Idea #29

May 22, 2008 / / 0 Comments

This is a great activity to reinforce letter recognition and/or letter sound correspondence while strengthening fine motor skills. You’ll need some play dough, an alphabet chart or cards, and plenty of imagination.

  1. Tell your child that you’ll be calling out a letter and that you want them to try to mold and form the letter using the play dough. You can work on one target letter or have them review several letters at once.
  2. If your child can’t remember what the letter looks like, then show him/her the way it looks on the chart or alphabet card. Encourage them to try again. If they still need help, get your hands dirty and show them how it’s done. Remember this is not a test, so keep it light and fun!
  • You can make this a letter-sound corresponding game by asking your child to then make an animal or object out of the play dough that starts with that letter’s sound. Or you can reverse it by using picture cards or pictures out of a magazine and asking your child to make the letter that matches the picture you’ve shown them.
  • For extra fine motor skill development let your child use scissors on the play dough to help them make letters and objects. This is great for kids who need a little extra practice using scissors.

Who Let The Letters Out (song)

May 21, 2008 / / 4 Comments

Ok, so clear your pipes and get ready to sing. Don’t worry if your voice isn’t that of a songbird, I promise you your kids won’t care. This is a fun song to sing that will reinforce the letter sounds and possibly get your kids (and you) dancing and moving around. It’s sung to the tune of ” Who Let The Dogs Out”. Now before you roll your eyes and say “no way”, give it a try. Kids love this!

If you’re looking for a CD that has this song on it, the only one I’ve been able to find is on Kiss Your Brain, available at Amazon.

[amzn_product_inline asin=’B000CMPWM2′]

  1. Here is the basic line of the original song: “Who let the dogs out…woof, woof, woof, woof, woof!”.
  2. Replace this with “Who let the A out… short /a/,/a/,/a/,/a/,/a/!”; “Who let the B out…/b/,/b/,/b/,/b/,/b/!”, and so on and so on with each letter of the alphabet.
  3. You can add clapping and stomping to this to work on rhythm and movement at the same time.
  • Take this opportunity to really emphasize the correct pronunciation of each letter sound. Try not to add the schwa sound (uh) after certain letters like b, g, k, m, etc. I know it’s easier to say /buh, /guh/, and /kuh/ – but it’s important that you keep the sounds as true as possible so that your child can learn the sounds correctly.
  • You can easily turn this into a phonics activity that reinforces letter-sound correspondence  by singing along with letter cards or by using an alphabet chart to point to the letters as you sing their sound.
  • Or if you want to take this activity outside and get your child really moving, you can draw the letters on the ground using sidewalk chalk and have your child jump from letter to letter as they sing each sound. It’s really funny when they make up little dances while they sing about the letter before jumping onto the next one!

Twist a Word – Lesson Idea #27

May 16, 2008 / / 0 Comments

This take on the classic game of Twister is a really fun way to get your kids moving while learning to read and spell words! You’ll need some sidewalk chalk and a large writable surface that’s outside (sidewalk, driveway, patio, etc.).

  1. Make some word cards of 2-4 letter words that you want your child to practice reading and spelling. These can be high frequency words and/or words from a story you are working on.
  2. Then draw a large grid of random letters (found in the words you chose) on the ground. A good size grid would be a square with 4 rows and 4 columns. You can make this bigger or smaller if you like depending on the size of your letters and how far your child’s limbs can reach! Your child will be using these letters to spell out the words with their hands and feet.
  3. Show your child a card, have them read it aloud (have them blend if needed or read it to them if it’s an irregular word) and then find the letters to spell it with their hands and feet. It helps if you have them read the word, spell it, say the letters as they find them on the grid, and finally call out the word when finished.
  4. Once they complete a word, they can then practice writing the word with chalk on the ground to make a list of all the words they were able to twist. They’ll be amazed at what they’ve accomplished!

You can also play different variations of the game depending on your child’s level of ability:

Synonym Memory – Lesson Idea # 26

May 15, 2008 / / 0 Comments

Synonyms have been shown to be an excellent way to build our vocabularies because it’s really easy to learn and attach a new word to a concept/meaning that we already know. Kids can have fun learning and adding to their vocabulary by playing this version of the classic game of memory. You can use store bought word cards or make your own out of index cards or card stock to play. Although you can use any set of random words you like (click here for word ideas), it’s also a good idea to choose words from a book or selection that you are working on with your child.

  1. Pick out some synonym pairs (the number will vary depending on your child’s age and reading ability – anywhere from 5 pairs for younger kids to 15 pairs for older kids) and review the words with your child. Have your child practice reading the words and take the time to discuss their meanings.
  2. Lay the word cards face down in rows on the floor or table.
  3. Have your child choose a card, read the word aloud, and try to find the word card that matches its meaning. If they find the right card they get to keep the pair. If not, they put both cards back where they were and it’s the next person’s turn.
  4. Continue until there are no cards left. The person with the most cards wins!
  • You can make this as simple or as difficult as you like. For younger kids you can use simple words with pictures to help them with the meaning (ex: small/little, hat/cap) – harder words for older kids (ex: alone/isolated, exhausted/weary).
  • This is an excellent time to introduce your kids to mature vocabulary words that can be tied to easy words that they already know – this really helps to expand their vocabulary in a rich way! Examples: sad/melancholy, friendly/amicable, mad/indignant.
  • You can also change this up by making the word pairs antonyms.

Vocab Riddles – Lesson Idea #25

May 14, 2008 / / 0 Comments

This fun game will help your child learn the meanings of words from a story or book that you are working on. It also gives your kids a great chance for fluency practice if they get to read the words several times before they actually start reading the text. Or you can simply play it after a reading to reinforce the meanings.

  1. Choose several words from the selection you are about to read with your child (this can vary depending on your child’s age, reading ability, and/or difficulty of the text – but usually between 5-10 words).
  2. List the words on a white board or chart and have your child try to read them – blending them if necessary or you can read them together. Discuss the meaning of each word with your child. You can look them up together, talk about what they mean, use them in sentences, etc..
  3. Then tell your child that you will be playing a riddle game where they’ll have to guess which word matches your clue. They get to cross off each correct word they guess – maybe even win a treat (an m&m or extra minutes earned to spend on a favorite activity).
  4. For example: For the words mast, remote, and link, you can use the following riddles:

I’m tall, very strong, and you can attach sails to me.

I mean the opposite of being close or near to things or people.

If I’m missing, then you can’t keep the chain together.

Remember that you can keep this as difficult or as easy as you want depending on your child’s age and ability. Have fun with it!

Letter Inspector – Lesson Idea #24

May 13, 2008 / / 0 Comments

This is a fun pretend play game that reinforces letter recognition while getting your child active around the house or at the store. You’ll need a couple of pipe cleaners and a print rich environment (make sure there are lots of things with words around)

  1. To make an instant inspector – make a “magnifying glass” out of a pipe cleaner by twisting it into a loop shape that has a hole big enough to place over the hunted letters.
  2. Tell your child that you need their help in searching for as many (target letter) that they can find around. For example: You can lead by saying “I’m searching for the letter ‘b’”, while looking through your “magnifying glass” as you walk around. When you find one, you can say “Here’s a ‘b’!  Let’s see how many more you can find.”
  3. Have fun investigating throughout the place for as many letters as you can both find!

Extension ideas:

  • You can also incorporate some math in by having them keep track of how many target letters they can find.
  • You can use this as a review activity for several letters at once and keep track of how many of each letter is found. Incorporate math by having your child compare which letter was found more often, find how many more ‘f’s did you find than ‘b’s, etc. They can even make a graph!

Jumping For Sounds – Lesson Idea #23

May 12, 2008 / / 0 Comments

This activity can be used to burn off some of your child’s extra energy while practicing their sounds to develop their phonemic awareness. It’s even more fun when you have siblings or friends join in!

  1. Choose a target letter and decide where in the word you want the focus to be (easy: beginning sound, medium: ending sound, hard: middle sound or mixed if working with vowels). It also helps to create a list of random words that have the target sound and some that don’t ahead of time, so you don’t get stuck trying to think of some on the spot.
  2. Tell your child that you’ll be saying some words and that they have to listen to see if the word has the target sound in the right place. If the word does, they can jump up. If it doesn’t, they can just stay where they are.
  3. Tell them to get in the ready position by squatting down with their hands on the floor (I call it froggy position). Begin saying some words slowly to give them a chance to react.

Some sample words for the beginning sound /s/:

silly           mine            net
goat          sack             scallop
happy       Septmeber     star
snake        tent              book
Sally          ballopn         playground
monkey     singer           squash

I promise that you’ll wear your child out playing this! You can use it as a game to pay when you introduce a new sound or as review. You can also change it up by changing their response activity (clapping, stomping, jumping jack, etc.)

Word Blends (beginning consonants) – Lesson Idea #22

May 11, 2008 / / 0 Comments

This is a phonemic awareness activity – click here for info on why these help. You can use a puppet for this activity to make it more fun.

  1. Tell your child that you will be putting some sounds together to make words. Tell him/her that you (or the puppet) will give them a sound and a part of the word and they will have to put them together to make a word. For example: You say: /n/…eedle. Your child says the word “needle”.
  2. Remember that the goal is for your child to blend sounds together orally, not to be able to read these words. So don’t be afraid to use big words – it’ll really add to their listening/speaking vocabulary!

Samples:

/t/…iger

/d/…inosaur

/m/…onkey

/b/…asket

/t/…elevision

/j/…ungle

/p/…oodle

/m/…idnight

/s/ andwhich

Silly Sentences – Lesson Idea #21

May 10, 2008 / / 0 Comments

Use this activity as a review for letters you’ve worked with. You can do this one whether your child knows how to read or not. Your purpose is to reinforce the letter shape and sound in a fun way.

  1. Write a silly sentence so that all of the words in it begin with the same letter and sound. For example: Handsome Henry hugs happy hyenas.
  2. Read the sentence aloud and have them repeat it with you. They can also try to say it fast several times. Ask your child what letter and sound they think is special in this sentence – /h/.
  3. Ask your child to think of other words that start with the same letter and sound. List what they come up with and go over the words.
  4. Some other sample sentences:
  • Jolly Johnny jiggles Jackie’s jewels.
  • Silly Sam says scallops soak soda.

The listing of words can also help develop your child’s vocabulary. Get ready for tongue twisters!

I Spy – Lesson Idea # 20

May 9, 2008 / / 0 Comments

An oldie but a goodie. You can play this with the focus being on sounds or letters. This helps develop their ability to match sounds and/or letters with objects and reinforce their knowledge of word meanings. Play at home, in the car, at the store, at the mall, or anywhere!

  1. Pick some random object in your surroundings that begins with the sound or letter that you’d like to work on.
  2. Say “I spy with my little eye, something that begins with the sound/letter ____.”
    You can have your child repeat the rhyme when giving you the answer. Then they can even take a turn asking you to find an object!
  • Take this opportunity to discuss meanings of words they don’t know by choosing/pointing out objects they may not be familiar with.

Sound in A Sack – Lesson Idea #19

May 8, 2008 / / 0 Comments
  1. Get a sack or bag large enough to hold several items.
  2. Have your child search the house for things that begin with your target sound.
  3. Go through the items and talk about what they found to further develop their vocabulary and understanding of things around them: Does it match the target sound?, What’s this used for?, What color is it?, Who uses this?, Where does it go?, etc.
  • You can make this more challenging by changing the location of the target sound. Instead of finding things that begin with a certain sound, try having them find things that end with the sound – or have a certain vowel sound in the middle. They’ll have lots of fun hunting!
  • Extension activity: You can work on the comprehension skill, classifying and categorizing, by having your child sort the items into categories. For example: things that go in a drawer, things used to cook, things people wear, things we eat, etc. Or you can reverse it by assigning your child the categories and they must find items that match the category and the target sound.

On My Way… Lesson Idea #18

May 7, 2008 / / 0 Comments

A fun and educational way to spend some time…

  1. Tell your child that you will pretend to go somewhere (park, beach, store, etc.) and see lots of things that start with the letter /(target sound)/ sound.
  2. Practice words that start with the sound you are working with. For example: /p/ – porcupine, potato, pants, panda.
  3. Then you can start by saying or singing, “On my way to the store, I saw a panda, that starts with a /p/.”
  4. Then they can take a turn saying it once they get the hang of it. This game is great in the car, while you’re waiting for an appointment, or where ever. The sillier the answers the better!

Fill In The Rhyme – Lesson Idea #17

May 6, 2008 / / 0 Comments

1. Say these sentences, stressing the words that rhyme:

  • The cat wore a hat.
  • The ball rolled down the hall.
  • Your shoe is blue.

2. Now tell your child that they’ll have to finish your sentence with a word that rhymes. You can get as silly as you want just as long as the words rhyme. You’ll be amazed at some of the responses you get!
3. Sample sentences:

  • The hog chased the ________. (frog, dog)
  • Let’s look at a _________. (book)
  • The pig wore a _________. (wig)

Rhyme Toss – Lesson Idea #13

April 28, 2008 / / 0 Comments

You can play this with 2 or more people, but the more the better. So get some friends, siblings, or dad involved and have fun!

  1. Sit or stand with players in a circle and have something ready to toss (bean bag, ball, etc.)
  2. Say a word like “cat”, and toss the bag to the next person who has to say a word that rhymes like “hat”, then toss to the next person and so on. Switch to a new word when players run out.
  3. Sample word lists you can use: (ball, wall, tall, hall, mall, call, fall, all); ( blue, shoe, two, new, who, boo, flew, drew, etc.); (pit, bit, hit, fit, lit, mitt, sit, kit), etc.
  • You can make this more challenging for older kids by making the words harder. Sample words: (plate, eight, freight, berate, date, mate, bait, gate, hate, etc.).
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