Group Word Building Activity

Purpose and Description

This is an activity most appropriate for beginning literacy and beginning English language learners or adult education learners who are reading at a K-3rd grade level. By building words as a team and saying individual letter sounds, learners practice:

• Letter identification and orientation
• Spelling
• Letter-sound correspondence
• Blending
• Teamwork

Preparation

1. Select a list of words you will have learners spell. This could be vocabulary from a text or unit or a phonics lesson.
2. Prepare large letter cards with the letters found in the words with one letter per card. Standard letter sized (8 ½ x 11) paper cut in half makes a good size.

Steps

1. Lay all the cards out on a large table. 
2. In your mind, select a word from the list. Count the number of letters. Count out the same number of students and gesture for them to come to the table. For example, for the word “hand,” count out four learners.
3. Say the word and guide students in finding the letters, if needed. Each learner should take one letter card. Encourage learners to help each other.
4. Prompt learners to order themselves correctly to spell the word, standing in front of the rest of the class, each learner holding their letter card in front of their chest. 
5. Guide the class and the learners holding letter cards in saying each sound of each letter. Do this faster and faster to practice blending sounds to say the word. 
6. Prompt the standing learners to say the sound of the letter they are holding, one-by-one. “Conduct” the learners with a gesture to have them each say their letter’s sound in quick succession to blend the word. Each learner’s individual contribution combines with the others’ to make the word. 

Notes

• For sounds made with more than one letter, such as the digraph “ch,” for example, have the two learners holding those letters say the sound together.
• Emphasize sounds, rather than letter names in this activity to develop letter-sound correspondence knowledge. However, you can extend this activity by repeating steps 5 and 6 using letter names. 

For questions or comments about this Tutor Tip, contact Tutor Training Coordinator, Meghan Boyle at mboyle@literacymn.org.