Making words is an engaging, word building literacy activity that you can use during word work. It also makes for an engaging literacy center. This can help all levels of students grow and improve their phonics and decoding skills, increase phonemic awareness, spelling abilities and active listening skills.
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Making Words Teaching Strategy
Students are engaged as they manipulate the letters to make smaller words while trying to figure out the mystery word- the one that can be made from all the letters provided on the page. As the students move the letters around, they quickly find out how a simple spelling change results in a completely new word.
This can be used as guided instruction for the whole class or a small group of readers or it can be used as a literacy center, morning work or substitute lesson plans.
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Research shows that students who read only by sight are not likely to accurately or fluently read text much more than a 2nd grade reading level.
Making words helps students:
- Develop fluency and practice with effective phonics skills
- Use an alternative way for your students to practice their decoding and spelling skills
- Helps students read beyond the sight word level
- Develop deeper vocabulary
How to Use Making Words in the Classroom
Students cut out the letters at the bottom of each Making Words page. Then they use the letters to form as many different words as they can and record them on the sheet. This can be done independently as a center or with teacher guidance in small group or large class settings. They will sort the words based on the number of letters: 3, 4, 5, and 6+ letter words. Then students will try to make the Mystery Word- the word that is made up of all the letters.
Making words is an activity in which students manipulate letters of a mystery word to make smaller words to figure out the mystery word. Patricia Cunningham is widely known for her research and books on this topic if you would like to learn more or have more resources at your disposal.
As students move the letters to make these words, they are interactively learning how small changes create completely new words. As students learn to stretch out words and listen for the sounds they hear in the word and the order in which the sounds occur.
There are three ways you might want to use these.
- Independently/Centers
- Guided small/large group- make all the words from the answer key
- Guided small/large group- guide students to make a select few words from the answer key
Doing a Making Words Activity in the Classroom
Make sure students have enough time to cut out the letters and review the letters that they should have on their desk. I will write the letters the students should have on the board. This helps with any mistaken letters (p for b or u for n etc.). Sometimes a letter may fall off a student’s desk and the student might otherwise not be aware that it is missing.
Take a moment to review the easy to mix up letters (p/b, u/n, l/I etc.). I will write a letter under the letter, this is meant to signal how the letter should be placed on a line, hopefully removing any confusion about the letters that are available to use.
When doing a guided making words activity, I will guide my students by telling them the number of letters in the word I want them to start with. With my fifth grade students, I usually start with a few three-letter word warmups and then move on to four and five-letter words. I find this helps to review common and special vowel groups and it helps to support some of the struggling readers and spellers in the classroom.
To guide the students on the word humidity, I would say “take three letters and make the word dim”. I would then walk around the room to observe students and see if anyone needs more time or a hint.
I would write the words we make on the board for everyone to see and possibly use as a spelling tool. This visual helps to support all students, but especially the struggling spellers.
When it comes to figuring out the mystery word, I would ask if anyone figured it out. If no one has, I will give a hint like it begins with this letter. After a few more moments, I would then tell them what letter the word ends with.
If more than one person seems to have figured out the word by the end of the activity, I would have them shout it out at the same time.
Making Words Resources
Patricia Cunningham has quite a few books that are a real great place to start. I love to use her Making Words and Making Big Words books. She has a great resource for struggling readers in the upper grades as well, Month By Month Phonics for Upper Grades.
I also have created a few seasonal Making Words resources on my Teachers Pay Teachers store. All products, including the freebies, have an attached answer key. This is great for a teacher guide, sub plans or for students to use independently at a center.
Back To School Making Words Freebie
Making Words Halloween Freebie
Making Words Christmas Freebie
Back to School, Fall & Halloween Making Words Bundle
Thanksgiving, Christmas & Winter Bundle
Check Out My Other Engaging Vocabulary Posts
Resources for Successfully Teaching Grammar
Guide to Teaching Prefixes and Suffixes
Teaching Syllables in a Fun and Interesting Way
Making Words Teaching Strategy
How to Teach Greek and Latin Roots
The Magic of the Teacher Read Aloud
The Importance of Teaching Idioms Throughout the Year
What about you?
Have you tried making words in your classroom? I think it is a great activity that really reinforces many concepts and can be a fun independent activity if you need something to keep the kids busy and engaged.
