What are Word Works Centers? How can they fit into my classroom? Do they meet all my students’ needs? How can I make it fit into my reading and writing instruction? What do I do to engage students while still managing small group and individual instruction?
If you have been asking yourself any of these questions, keep reading! Word Work Centers will help students in their reading and writing by focusing on spelling patterns, affixes, high-frequency words, relationships between words, and more. Let’s take a look at the wonderful world of the Word Work Centers.
1. Explanation of Word Work Centers
Word Works is a hands-on time to explore the spellings and/or meanings of words, thus the vocabulary of words. Depending on our learners’ developmental stages, they might use this time to focus on letters and their sounds, read and spell words, or work on word meanings. At the same time, learners have time to explore sight words.
There are so many items and activities you can do with Word Works. This type of center can be used to practice:
- Phonic skills
- Reading skills
- Spelling words
- Sight words
- Content Words
- Language Skills
- Reading Fluency
2. Multisensory Materials for Word Works Centers
One of the great advantages of using Word Works Centers in your classroom is the use of many multisensory materials to meet the needs of all your students.
If you are first starting out, start small, with only a few items to work on these skills with. There are so many different tactile items for your students to use to improve skills. Here are a few I used consistently in my classroom:
- Sand Trays
- Shaving Cream
- Sandpaper
- Playdough
- Magnetic Letters
- Whiteboards
- Different Size & Colors of Paper
- Variety of Writing Materials
- Letter Tiles
- Phonic or Sight Word Games
- iPad or computer Games
3. Expectations & Guidelines for Word Works Centers
Remember the first thing you must do when starting out anything new is to set those expectations and guidelines for your students. Discuss the expectations for students and the teacher when the center is taking place.
This includes how you expect your students to put the materials away and where they are placed for others to use. These expectations and modeling are the key for your student’s success in being able to independently work on their literacy skills.
Take a look and make a copy of the Word Works Center Launching Chart to help guide your expectations with your students.
4. Literacy Skills Practice with Word Works Centers
It is essentials to let your students know why they are working on the skills you have set out for Word Works. They need to know what you are expecting them to practice and learn during their time at Word Works.
You need to be clear on what you want your students to practice or learn for Word Works. Setting these goals and expectations will help things run smoothly each day!
The skills that can be practiced are endless! Here are just a few literacy skills that you can practice during Work Works:
- Sight Words
- Spelling Words
- Reading Vocabulary
- Word Families
- Phonic Sounds
- Handwriting Practice
- Boom Cards
- Google Slides
In summary, Word Work Centers will help students in their reading and writing by focusing on many literacy skills needed for them to succeed. It is important to use a variety of multisensory materials and set expectations for students to be successful.
The literacy skills that can be practiced during Word Work Centers are endless. There are so many free and reasonably priced resources available for educators to use.
Teachers Pay Teachers makes it extremely easy for you to find resources. You can just search for a skill or theme area and thousands of resources can be found. Your students will just love the Word Works Center!
Grab your Free, Sight Word Dice Game!
Find some more reading activities and assessments in my store, The Teaching Scene by Maureen.
To read more topics check out my blog, “Seven Effective First Grade Assessment Tools”
