1. Week 7

2. Today’s schedule • Turn in comparison and contrast poems and pick up last week’s homework. Don’t turn in portfolio yet. • Portfolio activity • Collect portfolios • Writing activities for students

3. Writing activities for students

4. What writing activities have we already done in class? • Name poem (Acrostic poem) • Mixed bag (writing a sentence/paragraph with 2 random words) • Sentence folding writing activity

5. Alphabet recognition

6. Body letters • Students use their bodies to make letters • They can work individually or in groups, depending on the letter.

7. Alphabet tic-tac-toe • Assign students various letters and have them play tic-tac-toe with them instead of X and O • Variation: One student could be uppercase, the other lowercase • Another idea: Alphabet Bingo

8. Let’s go on a hunt • Students search for a letter in a newspaper or magazine. First person to find x amount wins! • Modification: find letters in the classroom or in nature

9. Phonics awareness

10. Create a Rhyme • The teacher could say the sentence and students fill in the word, or this could be done in a circle, in pairs, etc. • Once there was a silly cat, and he was wearing a funny ______. Once there was a silly goat, and he was wearing a silly ______. • I like cats. I also like _____.

11. Stand, Sit, Turn Around • Students whose names start with a certain letter do an action. • “If your name starts with “J” like Jennifer, clap your hands! • You could put random letters on students’ desks so they have to listen for other letters

12. Where is it? • Give students a chart that looks like this: • Say a letter and word and students have to figure out where that letter is located. • P – pack, mop, happy, pocket, hope, open, pudding, trap, pencil, keep

13. Word analysis

14. Living word/ human sentence • Divide students into groups and give each student one card. • Students have to rearranged themselves to make a word or a sentence • Variation: one group stands in front of the class and the other classmates direct them

15. Word ladders • Draw a ladder on the whiteboard • Write one word at the top (or bottom) • Ask students to change one letter to change the word. Continue until the ladder is finished. • Variation: students don’t need to make real words. Even if it’s not a real word still pronounce it.

16. Make a match • Make a list of words and divide them up by their syllables. Put one syllable on each card. • Make syllable flashcards for each student • Students need to stand up and find their pair (make sure there aren’t multiple right answers!)

17. Basic writing

18. Running dictation • Put parts of a poem/song/paragraph on papers around the room. • Student A runs to one, memorizes it, and tells it to student B. Student B then becomes the runner. • This can be done in pairs or small groups. • Option: Students can sort the sentences out later to correctly make the text

19. Van Gogh’s Bedroom • Elicit colors, numbers • Identify furniture, etc. in the picture • Fill out the chart

20. The longest sentence • Take one word or one phrase and write it on the whiteboard. • Have each student add one word or phrase to it to make it longer. • Make the sentence as long as possible. Review conjunctions, etc. as needed.

21. Vocabulary

22. Picture dominoes • Divide the dominoes equally between two or more students. Place the last domino in the middle of the table. • Each student takes a turn placing more dominoes down. If a student cannot play one, then move to the next student.

23. Lexical lineup • Make 3x3 squares with various words from categories such as days of the week, occupations, etc. • Students draw a line – I / to connect the similar words

24. Family circles • Give students the names of various family members (grandmother, cousin, uncle, etc.) • Give students a Venn diagram worksheet to sort them.

25. poetry

26. Concrete poetry • Students write about a topic and then try to revise the poem so it forms a shape. • Variation: If students are lower level, have them write about a topic, draw a picture and write the words around the picture in an artisticway.

27. Cinquain • For teaching: nouns, adjetives, participles, synonyms • Line 1: Noun Dogs • Line 2: 2 Adjectives Furry, Cuddly • Line 3: 3 present participles running, playing, barking • Line 4: four-word phrase always loyal and loving • Line 5: synonym for noun Friends

28. Beginnings and Endings Poem • For teaching exclamatory statements, opposites, contrast • Farewell to _______ Farewell to overcoats • Hello to ______ Hello to tennis lessons • Farewell to ______ Farewell to rainy days • Hello to _______ Hello to sunshine • Statement It’s spring, spring, spring! • You can use Yes/No, Hello/Goodbye, etc. • Option: Tell students to not say the last line and have the class guess what the subjects are