Engaging Games and Activities for Your Reader

 Hello Families!

Happy Spring!!  I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend weather!   Its hard to believe we only have about ten more weeks of school!


Learning Intentions:

I can use prior knowledge, information from the question, and inferences I have made to answer questions with appropriate on-topic responses.

Over the last few weeks, students have been continuing to work on their questioning skills, listening skills and answering skills.  

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One of the highlights they really had fun with was our "Sibbald Celebrity Interviews".  

In partners, students had the opportunity to practice  asking "WH" questions about their peer's interesting life, as well as listen and respond to the questions.  Role play was a hit as were the Unifix cube microphones!







Heart Word Games

Heart words are high frequency words used in text and stories that readers should know "off by heart".

A couple of weeks ago, a list of high frequency words was sent home with the students of the groups I work with.  Over the year, we have played numerous games with these words...games that can be practiced at home, that the kids can teach you.





Ask about making these games at home out of flash cards (index cards)
  • Sight Word Swat:  Write or print a number of the words on cards, starting with 5 words and working upwards, depending on skill level.  Using the palm of your hand as a fly-swatter, caller calls out words while swatter races against time or another player to swat the correct word.    As a creative alternative, print words on "fly" templates and purchase fly swatters from the dollar store.
  • Memory Match:  Print 2 copies of sight words on index cards, place them face down in a grid.  Overturn the cards and read each word, if it is a match, player keeps the set, if not, cards are placed back down.
  • BAM:  With marker or sharpie, write the leveled words on one end of coloured popsicle sticks.  Write Bam!! on 6 popsicle sticks for each leveled set.  Place popsicle sticks word face down into a can or small bucket.  Take turns pulling and reading each word, using the word in a question or sentence and spelling the word.  If you get a BAM all collection of words goes back in bucket. Player with most sticks wins.  



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