Email after email, I hear “How do you do word work? I want to expose my students to lots of different words but that’s a lot of prep. I do want to spend hours each week trading out words!” To this, I say – “PREACH!” So, I’m stopping by with a picture-heavy post all about how Word Work runs during our Daily 5 block.
How Do You Change Out Choices?
Launching Word Work in mid-to-late August, my friends have 4 choices. I keep the activities in Sterilite containers with their week’s words on Command Hooks
above the containers (a color representing each of my ability groups). You can read more about how I differentiate and organize the words in this blog post. The 4-5 choices I keep out stay out for an entire month or so and just the words change. That way, I am not teaching brand-new word work choices every.single.week. That would be crazy! Students visit word work 2-3 times a week and choose their just-right activities. After choosing an activity, they color their choices on their Reading Reflection Log.
above the containers (a color representing each of my ability groups). You can read more about how I differentiate and organize the words in this blog post. The 4-5 choices I keep out stay out for an entire month or so and just the words change. That way, I am not teaching brand-new word work choices every.single.week. That would be crazy! Students visit word work 2-3 times a week and choose their just-right activities. After choosing an activity, they color their choices on their Reading Reflection Log.Where Do You Get Your Words?
Our weekly words come from Reading Street. While we don’t use a basal for guided reading, I do like the phonics sequence and helps keep our team focused. The green words are a mix of the must-know words and some of the phonics-skill words. The yellow words are that week’s spelling words and the blue words are the enrichment phonics words in the red section of each week (in the teacher’s manual). I keep 3 copies of each word ring
on each Command Hook because 3 students may visit Word Work each round. Students are expected to visit Word Work at least 2 times a week. (Note – due to Copyright and the fact that these words belong to Reading Street, they are not available for purchase. Sorry!)
on each Command Hook because 3 students may visit Word Work each round. Students are expected to visit Word Work at least 2 times a week. (Note – due to Copyright and the fact that these words belong to Reading Street, they are not available for purchase. Sorry!)
Scaffolding Students
With so many moving parts to Daily 5, I try to provide as many scaffolds to my friends as possible. Yes, we did spend lots of time teaching and practicing each of these activities, but still – they’re 6. Sometimes they forget. Sometimes they get off track. I find providing visual directions on the tops of each container really helps us keep focused…especially at the beginning of the month when we have new activities. When making visual directions, I prefer to use pictures of my kids, but sometimes (like Super Sentences) it becomes an example/step-by-step guide of what they are to do.
Our Favorites Word Work Choices
Hands down, Stamp It and Pyramid Writing quickly become our favorite centers. Note – I do save Stamp It for the second set of centers because there are more procedures for it (i.e. it’s a mess). I have lots of training to do before I release students!
Pyramid Writing is another favorite. It’s a very visual way to see our words and it’s a simple-to-teach center perfect for the beginning of the year!
Differentiating Word Work
In addition to different words, many of our word work choices are also leveled. Within each container, I keep colored folders for my three different ability groups – below, at, and above grade level. Students know to pull the papers or recording sheets from their colored folder. This is a really simple way to make sure everyone is getting just what they need and what they are ready for!
Sentence Unscramble
Some of our other favorite Word Work activities in Sentence Scramble. Although a ‘high maintenance’ centers, my friends LOVE the challenge. You can read my post about how sentence scramble works here.
Sound Sorts
Now that we’re learning about long vowels and vowel teams, we spend a little time each week sorting sounds we see and hear. This is wonderful phonics practice and I love that all my friends (regardless of level) get just-right phonics practice.
Going Digital with Word Sorts
As technology becomes a natural part of our classrooms these digital sorts are ideal for our 1st and 2nd grade friends. 
This is what is working for us right now! In the next week or so, I will switch up at activities to keep it fresh and interesting. I keep the word-ring storage the same, but will choose 4 of our other favorite word-work activities. I believe January will be long vowel dominoes
, Stacks, and potentially some phonics sound-sorts. I’ll keep you updated! 🙂
, Stacks, and potentially some phonics sound-sorts. I’ll keep you updated! 🙂
If you’re interested in the Word Work resources I’ve show above, you can check them out here. So, tell me – what are your favorite Word Work activities??? I’d love to add some variety to our routine! 🙂
Get Free Teaching Resources!
Join me for weekly classroom updates and free resources that are just-right for your guided math classroom!
I love your post! How do you use the Super sentences & are you considering making a pack in your store with some of these items? Where do you get the items in your leveled folders from?
Thanks so much for sharing! Chris
Hi Chris! Thank you so much. It's always nice to see how others run their reading block. I'm hoping to have some Word Work resources up in the next few weeks. In terms of the leveled folders, a lot of it I make or resources from Reading Street. In the picture above, the activities are actually from Versatiles – which my 1st graders love!
You only allow 3 students at a time at the word work center? Do you have a very small class? My class loves the stamp your words center, Stikki Wikki, BANG (using spelling words), writing words with red and blue markers(vowels in red and consonants in blue). You have some great ideas! I can't wait to see more installments!
Hello! I have a normal-sized 1st grade class (23) but they are pretty talkative. I try to keep my rotations pretty small. If a student really needs to visit Word Work, I'll allow a 4th, but otherwise friends can visit every other day. It works for us! 🙂
Do you have your word work activities on TpT? I like the super sentences and pyramid activity.
Hi Hollie! It's a work in progress. Make sure to follow my TpT store, so you can be notified when I add my Word Work resources. 🙂
Hi Hollie! I just put the finishing touches on the Work Work pack. You can find it here – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Work-Centers-Visual-Directions-1936033
Miss you not being a fifth grade teacher but I have "borrowed" many of your ideas and bulletin boards. My question is–where did you get the containers that are holding all of your activities?
Thanks,
Karen
I stocked up when the lidded Sterilite boxes were available all summer at Big Lots in various sizes (they may still be there), and I usually see them in stock at Target. I've seen the latches in blue, green, and purple.
You are SO organized!! It inspires me! I love your visual directions with the pictures and examples! That is such a fabulous idea! I never got around to finalizing my plastic boxes like yours… that may have to be a goal for next year! 🙂
You're too sweet, Molly! Thank you so much. 🙂 Organization calms my soul and makes 'my' classroom mine. It's amazing how quickly my 1st graders have learned to make sure it stays 'just-right.' 😉
This is a great post, and I can easily adapt this for my fourth grade Daily 3. I was just wondering if you had a system for whose turn it is for word study. Right now, I assign times, but I would love to move to more of a choice.
Thank you!
Mary
Fit to be Fourth
I am curious where you get your 3 levels for Reading Street word work. Thinking blue are amazing words, yellow are spelling words, and green…? Thanks so much for all of your detailed posts, especially those related to Reading Street. I am following your TpT store and anxious for more differentiated products.
Hi Melissa! For green I mostly use the week's must-know/high frequency words. I use 8 words for week, so often I will 'add-in' a word or two that spiral review from an earlier week! 🙂
Hi Melissa! I just put the finishing touches on these Word Work activities. You can snag them here – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Word-Work-Centers-Visual-Directions-1936033
Is there a way to easily print out these three sets of lists? I know how to download the amazing and high frequency words per week with the pdf, but not sure on the spelling. I'm sure I'm just missing something.
What are versatiles?
I’m going to try to use leveled sight words (pre-primer/primer for my lower kiddos, 1st grade for mhy on level, and 2nd/3rd for my above) and then words with our weekly phonics focus (one syllable for my lowers, more blends for my on level, and mutli-syllable words for my higher kiddos), but I wanted to know how many words you use in each set? And how often do you change out your words? Weekly?
Hi Lindsay! We focus on 6 words a week. 🙂
Where did you purchase your clear boxes for centers? I’ve seen similar Sterilite containers that are slightly larger (15×11, I think) at Walmart for $3.88 and found these exact ones in a six pack on Amazon for $23. I was just curious if you found them cheaper anywhere else. 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Hello! I’ve written about these boxes and where I get them in this post: http://brownbagteacher.com/classroom-storage-container/
You are amazing! I just discovered your blog and I am jumping with joy over the wealth of information. Thanks for helping me get my word work on track. This is a fantastic blog!