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Guided Reading

Sight Word Activities That Aren’t Flash Cards

Sight words can be very hard to teach. Some words can’t be sounded out, others can be, and a lot of learning sight words is just about memorizing. When I first started teaching, I relied on flash cards to teach sight words. And, although I do still use them for some things, I have found many other more engaging ways to teach sight words! These games use different styles of learning so learning sight words are accessible to all learners.

Sight Word Activities That Aren’t Flash Cards

Whiteboards

Whiteboards are an awesome tool when teaching sight words because you can use them in many ways! Here are my favorite ways to use whiteboards when teaching sight words.

You (the teacher) writes a sight word on your whiteboard. Students give a thumbs up when they know it. Students say the word all together. When students say the word all together, the students who don’t know the word are hearing it and learning from their classmates.
- Extension: Choose one or two students to use the sight word in a sentence.
You say a sight word and students write it. This works best when you’re sitting in front of your word wall as students can look to the word wall to find the sight word to write.
Show students a few words (or sit in front of the word wall) and ask students to write one word or a sentence with the word in it and then share with the group.

Play-doh

Play-Doh always gets my kids super excited and ready to learn. There’s something about it that makes learning feel more like play and less scary. Here are my favorite ways to use Play-Doh.

Students have flash cards of their sight words for the week and create them using Play-Doh.
Students look to the word wall to create the sight words you’ve already learned.
Partners create words and take turns making a sentence with that word.
Students flatten out the Play-Doh like a pancake and use a toothpick to write the word in the Play-Doh.

Sight Word Run the Room

This is a game I created to get my students and their wiggly bodies moving around the room while we practice our sight words. The game is a version of freeze dance and when the music stops, students go to a sight word that is taped around the room. I pull an equity stick and that student tells the class the word and a sentence with that word in it.

This game has become my students absolute favorite way to practice sight words! They beg me to play it each week with our new words!

Chasing Rainbows – Created by Literacy with the Littles

This game is super fun and engaging for students! You play by setting out sight word cards that have rainbows on them. The teacher calls out a sight word and students use their unicorn fly swatter to tap the sight word rainbow!

When we played, my students were so engaged and a little rowdy! They couldn’t wait to find the next rainbow for their unicorn!

Sight Word Fluency Strips – Created by A World of Language Learners

This activity is a perfect way for students to practice their sight words as well as their fluency! Included in this resource are many different strips filled with sentences or parts of sentences that include many sight words.

In kindergarten, we talk about trying to read with expression and not read like a robot. My students were able to practice reading with expression while they read sight words we had already learned!

Sight Word Cut and Spell – Created by Sweet in Kindergarten

This activity is created by one of my favorite kindergarten teachers! Students cut out all the letters at the bottom of the work sheet and build the sight words above. What I love most about this activity was that it not only works on sight word recognition, it also helps students with their fine motor and cutting skills. Plus it’s editable so I was able to type in my own sight words that we were working on for the week.

Ways to play with Flash Cards

Although I said above that flash cards were boring, there are some fun ways to use your sight word flash cards. Here’s how!

Tap What You Know
- Spread sight word flash cards out and have the students tap a sight word they know. Then ask them what that sight word is and have them say a sentence with the word in it.
Name a sight word and have students find it
- The teacher says a sight word and students look through their sight word flash cards to find the word
Sight Word Surprise
- Flip sight words over on the table, students grab one and say what it is and say it in a sentence

What are some engaging ways you teach and practice sight words in your classroom?

A Look at Literacy Centers in Kindergarten

Having time in your schedule to break into small groups and teach students at their level is so beneficial. When I am meeting with students for our guided reading time, the rest of my students are doing various literacy centers.

I love this part of our day because it’s a time that I can tailor lessons to my individual students. I can support them when they need support and challenge them when that’s appropriate. This time is also important as it gives the students doing centers a chance to be independent and grow in their problem solving abilities.

Before we begin doing literacy centers, I take a week to teach each center. That way, when we break into groups, students can be independent and successful in what they are working on. It’s very important that you train your students to solve problems on their own so you’re not being interrupted a million times!

The Centers

Meet with the Teacher

During “Meet with the Teacher” students come to my table and meet with me. This is when I use my guided reading lessons that coincide with their reading level. Students are grouped by similar abilities so I am able to support, teach and challenge depending on what they need.

Word Work

Our “Word Work” station is where students practice our sight words for the week. They do this through different games, activities and worksheets. They know what to do for each activity because they have been taught prior to this time, about directions and how to play or complete properly.

Work on Writing

When students go to the “Work on Writing” station, they are practicing writing skills. In the beginning of kindergarten, I teach students to use many details and try their best to convey a message through 3 Star Coloring. Once students have learned their letter sounds, they are ready to start sounding out their words. This is when I give them other types of writing activities such as responding to a question, drawing and writing about a season or holiday or writing in their writing workbooks.

Listen to Reading

The “Listen to Reading” station is when students get to use Raz Kids (Learning A-Z) on the iPads. This program is awesome as you can assign students books at their level. In the app, students may read the book to themselves or they can listen to it being read to them. When they listen to it being read, the word is highlighted as it’s being read which is great for students to learn sight words and vocabulary.

Read to Self/Read to Someone

During “Read to Self” or “Read to Someone” students are in the library of our classroom and are again reading books at their level. The books they read in this stations are different books than the ones we’ve read during guided reading. Students have a box in the library labeled with their color group and are to grab only books from that bin. “Read to Self” sounds just how it is, they are reading to themselves. Whereas, during “Read to Someone”, students read to another person in their group.

This time with my students is so precious as I truly believe guided reading can take a non-reader and turn them into a reader or a reader into an even better reader! Literacy centers is such a valuable part of my day and in classrooms everywhere.

How to Create the Perfect Guided Reading Lesson

How to Help Your Struggling Readers

Tips for Challenging Your High Readers

Students come into your classroom at all different levels. Some students are really strong in reading and others need a bit more support. It can be hard to reach each student at their level but as teachers it’s our job to try! Throughout my years teaching, I’ve learned some tips to challenge my high readers.

Some years, I have students come in to my kindergarten classroom already reading (normally incoming kinders don’t read yet). Other years, I’ve had students come in reading at a first grade, second grade, even third grade level! This has been a challenge for me as I figure out what I need to do with these high readers.

Tips for Challenging Your High Readers

Use Small Groups

I recommend using small groups in both reading and math. Students will always come to your class at different levels and by using small groups, you’re better able to tailor lessons to your students needs. Sometimes, my high reading groups only consist of one or two students… that’s okay! If you can split your class up this much and have enough things for other groups to do, I highly recommend you do this.

To read about small groups during guided math check out the posts below.

All Your Guided Math Questions Answered: A Collaborative Post with Sam Ripley

Everything You Need to Know to Launch Guided Math in Your Classroom

How to Write Differentiated Lesson Plans to Use During Guided Math

Ask Open Ended Questions

When they’re in these small groups (or even if you don’t do small groups) ask your high readers open-ended questions. Critical thinking questions and open-ended questions give students the opportunity to really have to think about their learning and about what they’ve read.

Give Challenge Work

Giving challenge work does not mean extra work, it means giving them meaningful work that challenges them. When I give challenge work for my high readers, I think about the comprehension skill for the week and I find a worksheet or an activity that goes along with the comprehension skill. I also look for work that will make them think more than something the rest of the class is doing. When you give meaningful work, you’re challenging your higher readers.

These are some ways I’ve found to challenge the students who need a challenge. What do you do for your high readers?

How to Help Your Struggling Readers

In any classroom, there is a range in students’ abilities. I find that especially in kindergarten, students come in at totally different levels. This year alone, I have a student reading at a third grade level and a student not yet reading, let alone recognizing all the letters in the alphabet. Then, there are the students in between.

Luckily, we teach reading using guided reading, a small group instructional strategy. This teaching tactic makes it so we can reach more students at their own level. When I have students who are so far on either spectrum, I meet with them individually. It makes no sense trying to lump them together with the closest level to them because they’d either be way lost or way bored.

In this post, I want to talk to you about reaching those students who are struggling in reading. These are some ideas of how you can work with your lowest group during guided reading or small group time.

Ideas for How to Help Your Struggling Readers

Whole Body Alphabet

Students use their entire arm to make the letter in the air. While they’re making it, they say the name of the letter once out loud. After they make the letter in the air and start to get to know the letter, they can say the sound as well.

Zoophonics

This is a phonics program that I use bits and pieces of. What I really like is that there is an animal name for each letter that correlates with the letter sound. There is also a movement that goes along with the animal name. For example, Allie Alligator (A) says “a” and opens and closes her mouth. So students get used to doing the movement while saying the letter sound. Good for kinesthetic learners!

Beginning and Ending Sound Clip Cards

These clip cards are a good way to practice beginning and ending sounds. I use these as a warm up during our guided reading time. We do 5 – 10 cards at a time. Once I notice students mastering beginning sounds, we transition to ending sounds (a much harder concept for kindergarteners).

Letter Sounds Magnet Activity

This can also be used as a warm up. Students put the page on a cookie sheet and put magnet letters on top of what the word begins with.

Letter or Sight Word Kapow

Kapow is always a student favorite! The way you play is one student starts by pulling out a popsicle stick. They read the letter or sight word that’s on it and if they get it right, they keep it. They keep pulling sticks until they get one wrong. If they get it wrong then they put back the stick they got wrong and it’s the next persons turn. If they’re pulling sticks and they pull a Kapow stick (stick that says Kapow on it), they have to put all their popsicle sticks back into the bucket! The game goes until all the sticks are gone or you’re out of time.

These are some of the ways I help my students who are struggling in reading. What are your favorite ways to reach your struggling readers? Comment below!

How to Create the Perfect Guided Reading Lesson

Guided reading is one of my favorite times during the day because I love that I can differentiate for each student. However, the prep for guided reading can be challenging and sometimes I flat-out avoid it until the last second. Tailoring different lessons to different levels is a huge task and can be pretty overwhelming if you’re just starting out. That’s why I’ve created a step by step plan for you to get the perfect guided reading lesson each time and for any level.

How to Create the Perfect Guided Reading Lesson

Before you create your perfect guided reading lesson, you need to do a couple of things first!

Assess Students to Find Their Levels

First of all, you need to know your student’s levels. My school uses the Fountas and Pinnell guided reading assessments so I use this at the beginning of the year to find their level. I also assess them mid-year and at the end of the year. I send their end of the year assessments to the first grade teacher so she can group them in her class.

Create Your Guided Reading Groups

Once you know your students’ levels you can break them into appropriate groups and you’ll know what kinds of books to use. Fountas and Pinnell uses an alphabet scale so normally my kids are reading at an AA (pre-reading) through D/E. The level will depend on what system you use. You can even find some guided reading curriculum on TpT.

Steps to Creating a Perfect Guided Reading Lesson

1. Choose a book at the group’s level.

As I’ve mentioned above, I use Fountas and Pinnell so I have a set curriculum and books that I can choose from. I organize what group has read what book by highlighting the book name from a list that I have for each group. For example, my groups are colors so if the purple group reads Worm is Hot, I highlight it on the purple list so I know they’ve already read this book when I choose their book in future lessons.

2. Pick out sight words or vocabulary words from the book that you want to frontload.

Before we dive into our book, I preface our story by showing any sight or vocabulary words that may be tricky for students to read or that students may not know. That way, when they get to the word, they’ve already seen it and will know what it means.

2A. (Optional) Find a pre-reading activity.

I like to use a pre-reading activity mostly for my lower groups. Sometimes, I pick out words from the book that students can phonetically sound out and we practice sounding out these words before reading. Then, when they come to the word in their book, they’ve seen it and have practiced sounding it out so it’s not as intimidating.

3. Choose any reading strategies you want to reinforce.

I use the popular animal reading strategies: eagle eye, lips the fish, stretchy snake, chunky monkey, tryin’ lion, skippy frog and flippy dolphin. I like to introduce them one at a time and I decide which to introduce based on the kinds of words in the book.

4. Think of at least 3 comprehension questions you want to ask once the group has read the book a few times through.

Once students have read through the book at least two or three times, I ask them comprehension questions. To prepare for this part of the lesson, I write some out before hand. Check out my freebie below for a list of comprehension questions you could ask!

4A. (Optional) Decide on an extension activity they can do (depending on the level).

Mostly, my high groups get extension activities to complete once we’ve finished guided reading. I like to connect our extension activities to our skill of the week in language arts (I use Reading Street) that way they get more exposure to the comprehension skill. My high students can handle the extra challenge and benefit from the opportunity to transfer the learned skill to another story.

What steps do you take in creating your perfect guided reading lesson?