Important Word Cards : Reading Motivators: Personalized Reference
Important Word Cards:
Important Word Cards : Reading Motivators: Personalized Reference
My students have always been more motivated to learn words that are important to them.
Overview of Important Word Cards
★ Each child has an envelope in which to keep his or her words. The child tells the teacher one word every few days or as often as manageable. The teacher says the word slowly, allowing the child to hear the sounds within the word. The child offers sounds that s/he knows, and the teacher provides the remaining sounds until the “book spelling” of the word has been written.
This is a great time to jot down notes about each child’s phonetic development and plan groupings for future lessons.
I know inventive spelling is very important when students are writing. However, the special words will be used in many activities, so I think it is important to have the book spelling for these words.
★ These words could be a pet’s name, a favorite sport, a favorite toy, character, animal, etc.
Below is a FREE TpT resource that provides you with a template for creating the Important Word Cards. It is important that the child’s name is in one corner of the special word cards, so this template allows you to type in students’ names and then print on card stock so that you won’t need to write each student’s name on the cards in addition to his/her important word.
★ Having students’ names on the cards allows them to retrieve their cards easily after a small group lesson on skills such as phonics, spelling, alphabetical order, etc.
Ways To Use Important Word Cards
• These important words are also used in group lessons. The template allows you to type each student’s name on each important word card. After a lesson, each child can retrieve his or her cards from the pocket chart.
• Children enjoy reading these words to each other or sorting or alphabetizing them in small groups.
• Example lesson, “Who has a word with the letter p in it?” As each child brings up his or her word, the teacher may ask the child to read it for the group, and ask follow-up questions such as, “Where do you hear the p? Where do we see the p?”
Other skills might include: short vowels, digraphs, compound words, contractions, words that rhyme with a particular word, words with silent e, and so forth.
These words can also be used when students are writing. That way, words they like to use will always be spelled correctly!
These words can also be used when students are writing. That way, words they like to use will always be spelled correctly!
Directions
★ Cut on the paper cutter, and group by class sets. Then, start with one class set, and begin calling each student as his or her name appears on the top of the pile. This is an easy way to keep track of who has not yet received a word card. When you are finished with one pile, you can begin a new pile as time allows.
★ There is room for 30 names.
★ Provide each child with a manila envelope in which to keep his or her Important Word Cards.
★ Type in each student’s name on the template, and print out as many sets as you need.
You might want to refer to the “Skills in Context” resource sheet in this file:
If you found this Blog post helpful, comments would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Linda
