“Word Work” is a station my students do during literacy centers. These word work centers have to do with letter sounds and sight words. Our sight words change weekly but the activities stay the same. During the first few weeks of school, I introduce different word work center options, so when we start literacy centers, students can be independent while I’m working with a reading group. Here are 8 word work activity ideas for beginning of the year kindergarteners. 
8 Word Work Activities
Letter Sounds and Rhyming Magnets
These mats are a grid with pictures inside each square. Students lay the mat on a cookie sheet and put magnet letters over the picture depending on the sound they start with.
PlayDough or Putty
Students grab a container of PlayDough and create the sight words with the dough. When I teach this center, I show them how to thinly roll the dough to use to create the letters.
Beginning and Ending Letter Sounds Clip Cards
These clip cards show a picture and next to it choices of what it could start (or end) with. You decide if students put a clip on the beginning sound or the ending sound.
Stamps
You can do this center two ways. 1) Students grab a blank paper and use a stamp and stamp pad to stamp out the sight words. 2) Students flatten PlayDough at their desk and use just the stamp to press into the dough, creating the word on the flattened dough.
Whisper Phones
I got these phones on Amazon and they were a great purchase because this is one of my student’s favorite centers! Students whisper their sight words into the phone and they can hear themselves talking through the phone.
Poke a Sight Word
This word work activity is another crowd favorite! Students poke sight word cards that are printed backwards with a push-pin. (Make sure you lay down some hard rules with using push pins.) When they poke a bunch of tiny dots on the line and flip it over, the word will be revealed! 
Whiteboards and Magnets
This activity is simple, students take a whiteboard and practice writing the sight word with an expo pen or with magnets. I spice this activity up by giving them different ways they can write the word like fancy writing or robot writing!
Pipe Cleaners and Beads
For this activity, students take a pipe cleaner (I cut mine in half) and beads that have letters on it and string together the sight word. What are some of your favorite “Word Work” activities? Comment below!
You may also be interested in…
Guided Reading Groups: How to Set up Your Groups in the Beginning of the Year
How to Create the Perfect Guided Reading Lesson
Guided Reading: The Ins and Outs
