Form I Reading: 40+ Ways to Practice Reading and Spelling Words

1. Make words with alphabet pasta. Use leftover pasta to make alphabet soup.
2. Write words with glitter glue.
3. Write words with glue and then yarn.
4. Form words with Playdoh.
5. Form words with Wikki Stixs
6. Write words in sand, salt, flour or rice. Vary it at different times.
7. Write words in pudding. Be sure to leave some left to eat afterwards.
8. Write words in shaving cream.
9. Write letters in a hopscotch grid with chalk and have them jump to the correct squares to spell the words, or write words in the blocks and have them call out the words they jump on. (source: Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas)
10. Write words with chalk and then "paint" over them with water. (source: Seeking Kingdom First, Shining Our Lights)
11. Tape cards with the words on them to a Twister mat and then call out the words instead of colors.
12. Put the words on cardstock  (both sides) and put them in a bottle filled with popcorn or rice and have them roll the bottle around until they see a word. Have them read the word they find.
13. Play hangman with the words. In the beginning, until they learn them, you can have the list of the possible words posted.
14. Line up craft sticks and glue a picture you know they will like on the back. On the other side write the letters in the word you are working on. Cut apart and have them put the word together. They can self-check by turning the craft sticks over and seeing if the picture looks right.
15. Put the words on cards and place on pillows or just on a carpeted floor and have them "island" jump to the word you call out.(source: Mom to 2 Posh Divas)
16. Put the words on cards and spread them out on the floor or table. Provide a new flyswatter and have them swat the word you call out.(source: Mom to 2 Posh Divas)
17. Give old games new life by making word cards to go with Candyland or Chutes and Ladders or any other favorite game. When they land on the space, they need to read or spell the word in order to go again. If they cannot read the word, their turn is over. They begin again their next turn. (source: The Linton Academy)
18. Play Scrabble with word cards. (source: Michelles Charm World)
19. Fill a baggie with paint or hair gel and seal. Have them write with their finger on the outside of the bag.
20. String alphabet beads on pipe cleaners to spell out the words. You can also have them make necklaces.(source: On The Shelf)
21. Buy a picture frame and write on it with a dry erase marker.
22. Have them write the words with each letter a different color to make rainbow writing.
23. Have them search for the words in books and keep track of the times they find them.
24. Put the letters in unpopped popcorn (source: Katherine Marie) or rice and have them find the letters and put them together.
25. Have them search for letters in magazines or newspapers and glue the letters on paper to make "spy writing."
26. Form the words with pipe cleaners. (source: Imprints from Tricia)
27. Form the words with toothpicks.
28. Form the words with Legos with letter stickers on them. (source: Milk and Cookies)
29. Make letter cookies and then spell with them. Yum!
30. Spell words with letter tiles or letters written on cards and then flip them over face down. Have him turn over one letter and see if he can pick out the word. Keep going until he finds the word. If he turns them all over, you get a point. If he guesses the word before he finishes turning them all over, he gets a point.
31. Write letters on sponges, which are cut in half, with a permanent marker and put them in a pool. Have them swim to gather them and make the words.(source: Toddler Approved!)
32. Put words on cards along with unpopped popcorn or rice in a bottle. Have them find the words by moving the bottle and then read it. (source: Mrs. Morrow's Kindergarten)
33. Put words in a bottle. Fill with rice or popcorn. Have them do a search for the words and read and/or write them when they find them. (source: Little Literacy Learners and Mrs Morrow's Kindergarten)
34. Make a word splat.. Write a word in large letters in the middle of a page and invite them to decorate it with markers, tracing around and around the edges of the word and changing colors often. (source: Heidiongs Resource)
35. Give them a list of words to listen for while you read them a book. (source: No Time for Flashcards)
36. Make word cards by writing words on index cards. Cut the letters apart with different patterns, such as waves or zig-zag cuts and then have your student put the puzzles together and read or spell the word.
37. Make puzzles by writing the words on a piece of paper, leaving out some of the letter (perhaps the vowels) and provide letter tiles for the missing letters. Can he put the missing letters in the words? (source: From Kindergarten with Love)
38. Make a code, using a symbol for each letter. Can he crack your code and read the words? (source: Kindergarten Lesson Plans, Mrs Gilchrist's Class)
39. Play word hide and seek by hiding cards with the words on them around the room or yard and read off the words one at at time and have him find them. (source: Kindergarten Lesson Plans)
40. Make two sets of word cards. Put one set face up on the table. Take one card at a time from the other set and read the word. Have him pick the card from his set on the table. Put both of your cards down at once....did he get it right? (source: Playdough To Plato)
41. Spell and read with paper cups with letter on them. (source: The Violet Hours)
42. Make letter pancakes with a squirt bottle and make words with them and read them.
43. Play a version of Headbanz by making a crown with a little pocket in the front. Put one word card in the pocket, so they can't see it. Spell the word, and your King/Queen has to guess what the word is. You can also do this with letter sounds in words. (Source: Sun Scholars)
44. Make cookies and have help writing words on them in icing. You must read in order to eat them! (source: Se7en)
45. Make cards for all the words in a simple reading book. Have him match them up to form the sentences in the book.

46. And lastly, Word Rings! Each student is given a loose leaf ring for their very own words. Every day they are given three index cards on which the teacher writes down any words of their choice. These are words they want to have on a card. They had to be able to read the words they have before they could get the next ones. Students are taking ownership and these are the words that are meaningful to them. It can even become a challenge to see how many words they "have."