On MONDAYS, I introduce five new word wall words.Most of our phonics lessons lead to or from the word wall. I mention this because the word wall is the epicenter of our word work routine. This is how we grow our word wall over the year and these are the words we use for most of our word work games. (I’ll go into detail about that lesson in a moment.) And on Friday afternoons, I post the new words to the wall. For example, every Monday morning, I introduce five new word wall words as part of our phonics routine. It’s our number one, go-to resource for learning words and becoming independent spellers. The Star of the ShowĪlmost everything we do in terms of word work helps us build and use our word wall. Modeling and direct instruction are an important part of my lessons, but we also leave plenty of time to apply strategies and play fun games throughout the week. I also integrate music and movement through phonics songs (our favorites are from Jack Harmann on YouTube) and kinesthetic activities like BUMP Games. With that in mind, I try to strike a balance between solo work, partner work, and team work. I’ll make small changes within the routine as the kids grow and require more challenging work, but the weekly schedule will be consistent for long periods of time.Įmbedded in the weekly work, I make sure I’m providing a variety of activities that will appeal to multiple learning styles. When I’m planning word work for first grade children, I think first about the routine and the components I want to include. When kids are socially and emotionally prepared by predictable ways of work, they are more likely to build on that familiarity and take risks. Routines make room for confidence building. Wondering what’s going to happen each day leaves many children feeling uneasy … me too, frankly. In fact, most kids are more eager and receptive when they know what to expect. Having predictable schedules and systems doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice fun. I used to think this also meant wacky and spontaneous, but I quickly learned children thrive within routines. Word work for first grade kids should be fun and engaging.
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