Word Work
Fun Ideas for Practicing Words
Writting words 5 times each has been overdone. Kids are tired of it. Try 10 FUN word work ideas to practice with any word list. They’re great for spelling practice, handwriting practice, and even improving reading fluency, automaticity.
Play Dough Stampers
Practice words with Play Dough and Dough Stampers!
When little ones play with dough it strengthens the small muscles in their hands, which will help with their pencil grip. Plus, it’s fun.
Shown above: Lakeshore Lowercase Alphabet Dought Stampers
Magna Doodle
Toys can be tools! Practice writing words on a Magna Doodle! Copy words from a word list or try a spelling practice test.
Dry Erase Board
Dry erase boards are super easy and reusable! Be sure to show little ones how to care for markers.
If your tips get pushed in you can use tweezers to pull the tip out again.
I’m loving these new liquid chalk markers that word on dry-erase boards too!
Letter Stamps
Stamp out words with letter stamps! Use this FREE CVC words page for kids to build words. This is a daily 5 Word Work favorite for kids.
I organize my stamps in a 24 compartment box from Harbor Freight that’s under $4.
Wikki Stix
Have you ever heard of Wikki Stix? They’re sticky and reusable. You could stick them to a desktop.
I love reusable activities, because kids need many repetitions and it saves on teacher’s prep time.
Building Bricks
Write with Building Bricks. I’m going to be completely honest, this took me way too long to make one word. I don’t know, maybe the kids are faster than me.
Lace-a-Word Letters
Lace a Word letters are super fun for kids and it helps develop Fine Motor Skills! The CVC Words page show above is a freebie in my TPT shop.
Shown above: Lakeshore Lace-a-Word beads in lowercase
Rainbow Writing
Students write the word with a crayon. Then they use a different colored crayon to write over the word again. Followed by a third crayon. Use the colors of the rainbow ROYGBIV: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. It’s a fun way of writing the same word multiple times, so students can get repeated practice. I usually only have students write the word with three crayons, so it doesn’t look too messy.
You only need paper and crayons for this activity, but trust me it’s way more fun for kids than writing with their pencil. It feels more like art than handwriting or spelling practice.
Secret Words and Water Colors
First students write their words using a white crayon, so they look invisible. Then reveal the “secret” words with water colors or markers.
Kids love to write “secret words”! They think they’re spies, so sneaky! Trick kids into practicing more writing by having them write a secret message to a friend!
Magnetic Letters Box or Keyboard
Organize magnetic letters in a Harbor Freight Box (under $4) and build words on a dollar store cookie sheet.
Or use a cookie sheet and magnetic letters to create your own hands-on “keyboard”. This layout leaves space for kids to build their words above and keep extra letters on the side. Magnetic Letters Box and Cookie Sheet Organizer
Magnetic Letters Activities
If you would like your students to get extra practice and save some of your valuable prep time you can use ready made Magnetic Letters Activities as a guided reading activity, a center, or an independent reading activity. Students will practice beginning sounds, word families, cvc words, blends, and sight words.
Includes 57 pages: 10 beginning sound, 17 word families, 10 cvc words, 10 blends, and 10 high frequency words. Magnetic Letters Activities
Hope you liked these fun word work ideas for kids to practice with their spelling words or any word list.
- Play Dough Stampers
- Magna Doodle
- Dry Erase Board
- Letter Stamps
- Wikki Stix
- Building Bricks
- Lace-a-Word Letters
- Rainbow Writing
- Secret Words and Water Colors
- Magnetic Letters
-Martha | MrsGalvan
