Word Work Centers & Phonics Instruction
When setting up your word work centers, there are many different things you need to consider. In my classroom, I want my word work centers to match the phonics skills we are working on.
I also think it’s important that my students can do these activities independently! That’s why I keep the activities VERY similar, but I change out the skills in my word work center!
Word Work Sorting Center
For this first activity, students sort the cards depending on the skill. For example, they might sort by putting all of the AR words in one column and the OR words in another. To differentiate, I include various sorting cards. Some students will write the entire word with a dry erase marker, some will write the missing phonics skills, and some won’t write anything and will only sort the cards.
Phonics Puzzles
Another word work center activity my students LOVE are the phonics puzzles, so I LOVE to include different kinds of puzzles with our phonics skills! Sometimes they’re simple two-piece matching puzzles, and sometimes they’re puzzles with multiple pieces. No matter what kind of puzzle it is, it’s a super easy activity to include in my word work center because students know what they have to do!
Word Work Dominoes
I love letting my students match the dominoes end-to-end! They match the phonics picture to the correct word. It’s another super engaging activity for students to practice phonics & word work skills!
Word Work Task Cards
Finally, task cards are great to include in your word work center. My favorite task cards are the ones where students use letter magnets or letter tiles to build words. It’s a hands-on, simple way for students to continue practicing these skills.
Paper/Pencil Practice
While you’ve probably noticed that the first four activities were worksheet-free, the final activity I’m including is worksheets. While I don’t always love paper-pencil activities, I do believe students need some practice with it!
Free Word Work Starter Kit
If you’re struggling with getting your word work center up and running effectively, I’ve put together your very own FREE word work starter kit. Download it if you’re ready to revamp your word work center!
You’ll receive word work ideas, editable word work resources, posters, and more for FREE!
Want to learn more about how to choose the right word work activities? Check out this blog post!
Classroom Resources
If you’re in need of word work centers that match the phonics skills you’re working on, you can find them below!
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- Read more about: ELA, Teacher Tips
