#4699. Play with Words

Reading/Writing, level: Kindergarten
Posted 04/01/2013 by A. Gracia (A. Gracia).
BISD, Brownsville
Materials Required: Play-Doh in 2 difft. colors,2-4 work mats&pairs of scissors,a set of plastic letters A-Z
Activity Time: 15-30 minutes
Concepts Taught: Word Families

1. Review the letters and sounds with the students. Be sure to emphasis the short vowel sounds and remind students which letters are consonants.
2. Explain to students what word families are and how they can create more than one word by substituting the initial consonant sound with any other consonant sound (letter). However, they need to keep the medial and final letters in the word the same.
3. Model for the students how they are going to make word families with a partner during small group centers using the word families --it, -an, and --ot. Other word families will be added when they have successful mastered the previous word families.
4. Tell the students that they will be given two different colored Play-Dohs. One color will represent the consonant letters and sounds and the other color will represent the vowel sounds and letters.
5. They will have a bucket of plastic ABC letters to help guide them as they are creating their words. If students need the extra assistance, they need to first put the letters in order before they get started on the words.
6. When they go to the centers, students will need to get their work mats and be sure to work on them as they roll, cut, smash, etc. . . the Play-Doh.
7. Students will need to share and discuss the words created with their partner and then write down the words in a journal to show the teacher when they rotate with her/him during groups. If time allows, students could create a model with the Play-Doh to represent some of the words and draw a picture in the journal.