Word Work Center etc.

What if we could make kids fall in love with spelling instruction?  What if you could harness novelty to engage your students, stimulate their brilliant brains, and improve word retention as a result?  It's possible, and once you launch this approach in your classroom,  your spelling instruction will never be the same.  There's no turning back.  Are you brave enough?  Are you ready to take the plunge?

I teach third and fourth grade gifted clusters, and I am here to report that fun spelling activities are not just for the itty-bitty primary kiddos.  Even the "big kids" light up when they can choose how to study their words in exciting, multisensory ways!

Because I teach dual grade levels, I have two sets of spelling words each week.  I use Word Warriors with my fourth grade class, and I use Affix Avengers with my third grade class to provide challenging lists for my students that will stretch their vocabularies. Even with the two lists, this is SO easy to implement.  I display the roots and affixes all week, and I hang copies of our spelling lists on our Focus Board for easy access. 

As I introduce each spelling word, we create a foldable that gives the definition of each word, my kiddos draw illustrations of each word.  It basically becomes a portable collection of TIP charts.  I always try to forge those connections to the root and affix meanings from the very start to facilitate deeper understanding.  This helps students continue to grow and decode new words as they encounter them in increasingly more advanced texts.  Once we complete this activity, they are given spelling lists, and they work in the spelling centers around the classroom!

It's funny because, originally, I assumed that my kiddos would smirk at the idea of using finger puppets to spell out words, but it is a fan favorite in my classroom!  They love it!  It's so simple and tactile, and I've been told they are amused by the irony of using finger puppets in fourth grade.  So, there you have it!  The littlest learners will earnestly enjoy this center, and your older kiddos will find it ironic and hilarious.  The way I see it, you win either way you slice it!

This center allows students to spell out words using letter gems that you can usually find at any craft store (or if all else fails... there's always Amazon).  I have my students use small trays I acquired from Dollar Tree several years ago.  It contains the gems and gives them a defined space to work.  If you have students who love all-things-fancy, they will LOVE this activity! 

Pipe cleaners aren't just for crafts, friends.  They are perfect for word work too!  Your students can bend and manipulate them into letter shapes to spell out their word list.  It's great for tactile learners! 

Using Scrabble tiles or letter tiles is another simple way to add variety to your word work centers.

Add a little extra pizzazz to your centers with stencils. This is such a simple one to implement!

Bumps is one of my own personal favorites.  You just need to buy a plastic canvas mesh (or five) to place in the center.  Students place their paper over the plastic mesh to write with crayons or markers.  This creates  "bumpy" textured letters that delight students every single year.  

If you're looking for something that will really help your auditory learners, whisper phones are fantastic!  I just have my students spell the words aloud into the whisper phones.  It's as simple as that.  I teach my students to wipe the whisper phones with Clorox wipes after use to minimize germs.

Another great center for auditory learners and kinesthetic learners is Chant It.  It allows kiddos to spell the words out loud along with fun motions. 

 Now, I know this isn't exactly earth-shattering, but alphabet magnets are always a winner!  I use cookie sheets in my classroom, and I just stack them near my word work drawers for easy access.  If, for some reason, a student can't find a letter, rather than wasting time, I just have them use a dry erase marker directly on the cookie sheet.  It's a quick fix!

Using craft pom poms is another very tactile (kind of abstract) way to build words.  It takes up quite a bit of space, but it's well-loved and sees quite a bit of traffic.  Students use the poms to form letters to build the words, as you can see in the photos.

 

Type It can be launched two different ways.  I give my students both options in my classroom.  They can type out words with an old computer, or they can use a computer to use a word-processing program.  We use Google Classroom and lots of Google Apps, so most of my students tend to prefer creating documents in Docs.  This is also a great way to practice typing skills for life and state testing.

 

Rainbow writing appeals to artistic students because they write their words with the colors of the rainbow.  I allow them to use crayons or markers. 

Sandbox is another one of my personal favorites.  All you need to do is fill a pencil box with sand, and you're ready to go!  I like to have my students put the boxes under the trays to capture stray sand.  It makes dumping it back into the box a cinch, and it keeps it from getting into the carpet.  The kids use their pencils or fingers to spell words.

The next center can be done using newspaper clippings to create words like ransom letters.  I happened to find magnets a few years ago.  Should I ever lose them, I'll keep it going with newspapers and magazines.  (As you can see, students mix and match them with traditional alphabet magnets. 

Another center that's easy to forget about and underestimate is stamps.  It's a great way to add variety into your rotations in a simple, yet effective way.

Alphabet Blocks are a fun way to spell.  I bought these foam blocks from Dollar Tree and wrote letters on each side.  Students can manipulate the blocks to build their word lists.

Do you have students who love to build and construct?  Unifix cubes are enticing to students who enjoy building.  It's also a great way to promote critical thinking!

Hot Dots uses Bingo daubers to write words.  My students have used them in a variety of different ways.  I intended them to make block letters and fill them, like in the first example, but some students have taken it other directions.  I am totally fine with expressing creativity as long as they are on task!

Foam letters are another simple solution.  I have fish that hook together, and I also have traditional foam letters.  Both sets get the job done, and they are fun for my students!

My students do a little sky writing on black construction paper with flashlights, and they love it!

This is just a sampling of the activities included in my Words Galore pack.  It contains even more centers to enthrall, engage, and enrich your students!   I'm serious when I say the activities are PURE MAGIC, but don't just take my word for it.  Feel free to check out what others are saying in the feedback section.  This is one of my best-sellers, and it has transformed word work for countless students.  Are you ready to take the plunge?  Click the image below for more details!