Friday, September 2, 2011

Practicing Sight Words

We spend a TON of time learning sight words! I try to be very organized so that my students don't suffer my forgetfulness!!!  This is the best thing I've ever done to help my students (and me)! Here's how it works:
  • After the beginning of school rules and routines are practiced and mostly learned, I model how to get into a group or with a partner to practice.
  • Students will get a partner close to their level and the cards they are working on and sit together in the classroom.
  • They will take turns being the teacher and flash the words while the other says them. If there is a word that they  don't know, they raise their hands and I'll help them. Later, they'll use the ask 3 before me rule.
  • Once they master this way of practice, I'll bring out the sight board game boards, then the sight word fishing game, then the popcorn word game, etc.
This has worked for several years in my K class. I've had more students than ever master more than 220 sight words each year after implementing it! I also keep a chart on the wall where each student gets to color in the list after mastery. They already love it and I've only had it up a week!

 Here is a closer view. It's organized in groups of ten. R1 corresponds to red list 1, R2: red list 2 and continues to Gold 22. We also have color and number words.