More Daily 5---Word Work

I thought I'd share how I work my Word Work area.  First, my students are given a folder with prongs and pockets.  I check my students and highlight words they know from the Dolch Word List---that's what we're using this year.  Since I have the higher reading kids in first grade, I am testing them on all the words.  I have a little highlighting system:  YELLOW if they can read the word.  BLUE if they can SPELL the word.  GREEN (is made from the other 2) if they can read AND write the word.

 {They keep their folders in these containers.  Boys are in one and girls are in the other}

 {Click HERE for a copy of the word lists}

Now, they are given jobs (my literacy games) to do during a week or 2 (depending on the work, time of year, etc.).  I pass out all work that they need to finish during the week or 2 on day 1.  They label where they can find the games on the paper as we go over directions.  I use baby wipe containers to hold my things, unless it's a full page spinner.  Those go in paper trays.  My rule for the jobs is that they may only finish ONE page per day.  They may take more than a day to complete it, but I do NOT want them speeding through all 3-4 jobs in a day.  When they finish a job and have more time left, they use the folders with the words.  They spell the words with one of the MANY different things that they have---cardboard cutout letters, magnetic letters, alphabet beads, etc...

I wanted to add a little data from my class about this.  When I had my kids start with this folder, I went through and assessed my kids on ALL 220 dolch words.  In September 5 of my students already knew 95% of the words (209 or more).  3 of my students knew 40% or less of the words (82 words or less).  The rest were between 85-190 out of 220.  I had to test my kids last month due to it being my professional student goal for my students.  (My goal was to have all of my kids knowing 95% of all the words...  so 209 or more).  ALL but 1 student had met that goal by the end of February! (I haven't checked them again yet)  The biggest growth was my student who went from 84 words in September to 217 in February!  My one student who did not make the goal only needs 4 more words to make the goal!  I can tell you that I did not add in extra word work, other than what I am posting about here.  I did not send word cards home for them to practice.  Since it was almost individualized, it was MUCH too difficult to keep up.  They had ownership of their folders and words---and they learned those words through plain old reading and also their word work station!

I started mixing it up a little bit.  I am including a word work Tic-Tac-Toe.  I have a freebie listed {here}.  But, I created a themed one in December all related to Christmas:  I call it Ho! Ho! Ho! Word Work Tic-Tac-Toe.  I also had one that is Winter Themed called Tic-Tac-Snow!  And I now have one called Tic-Tac-GROW! (I'm in the works for more, but am falling quite far behind unfortunately with everything going on...)  Both that are posted and what will be have everything you'd need to complete the station.  My kids are LOVING it!  They are spelling their words with flowers, bugs and clouds, creating raindrops with their words, putting their word in ABC order in a caterpillar... I haven't been including "jobs" that I would normally have them do.  The first week I gave them words to practice, which are all based off the Word Sort they are on in Words Their Way.  After that, they'll use the same tic-tac-toe, but will use different words that they chose. 

Starting next week, I think I'm going to be switching things up yet again...  Since we switch kids, we have transitions.  A LOT of them.  I think that I will be having them work on their Tic-Tac-Toe boards for about 10-15 minutes when they first come in.  This will free up time during the daily 5 to work on other word work activities that we have been lacking and need to find time to practice!  Nothing like waiting till we have about 40 days of school left!  :)  

 {This is how I am an organizing all of the papers for the Tic-Tac-Toe.  All papers are included in my packet on TPT}

Here are some other pictures of my newest packet:

 

I'll have more pictures after we start working more this coming week!  You can find all of my Word Work Choice Boards {HERE}