Working with Words- Freebie!

           Working with words: stretching them out, counting the sounds, clapping syllables....  This is something I have my struggling readers do each week.  The students seem to really like working with the words and the sounds that they hear.  It is fun to watch them work through the steps and how their facial expressions change when they see the numbers.  They can tell when something doesn't seem right (yay for that) and you can see them shake their little heads when they have tried to clap out the syllables, but actually had counted the sounds instead.  I love that they notice this and back up to correct it.  :)

          Here is what our chart looked like when we started putting all the skills together.  Just to get to write on the chart was a huge deal to them.  It's something different than regular paper, so hey, this must be fun!

           Then after having had all that fun on the chart paper, the students then get their own grid to work with at the table.  If you would like to have this chart, click on the picture below!

          And finally here is the grid after students have worked on it.  As they work each word, I love how they start noticing the numbers can be different for how many letters and for how many sounds a word has.  Another thing they get excited about is how many syllables there are and that most of the words they work with only have one.  When a two syllable word pops up, that is cause for excitement amongst the troops!