If using these for sight words, remember they cannot be sounded out
If using these for words of the week, encourage tapping out the words before “making” them.
Put a layer of any of the following for students to write in:
Shaving cream (this can be put directly on the counter if you want – it cleans!)
Whipped cream
Pudding
Rice (this can be reused – use a container with a lid to write in)
Finger paint - There are several homemade recipes online
Write the words with soap in the bathtub.
Lay flat and use a toothpick or pen (retracted) to write
Make into snakes and form the letters.
There are several homemade recipes online for slime.
There are several homemade recipes online for playdough.
Use Magnetic Letters to build words.
Use letter tiles to build words.
VARIATION: give the letters of the word and have the students unscramble them .
Write the words on notecards. Use glitter glue, puffy paint, or regular glue to add a ridge for students to trace as they practice.
Write the words on two cards (I usually cut a notecard in half) or equal size pieces of paper. Play the Memory Game with the cards.
Paint brush and water on fence or sidewalk
Write in the dirt
Sidewalk chalk:
write large, write small
write the word in rainbow colors
try to put one sound per square of the sidewalk
There are several homemade recipes online for sidewalk chalk.
BE CAREFUL of the fun stuff that stains! Some playdough, slime, sidewalk chalk, fingerpaint, glitter glue, etc. may stain.
Print these letter tiles and cut them out. If possible print in cardstock in color. If not, be sure to color the vowels in some way. To keep letters from moving all over, you can use a silicone cooking mat as a letter board.
The attached document( (on right) includes all the sounds a student might need using our FUNdations program, but not all students are ready for every sound. The categories and placement are shown on the "letter tile set up" picture.