Word Study Exercises

 Materials:     

  • Prepared sets of slips that are organized in categories.

  • Corresponding word charts used for spelling and reading.

  • Small moveable alphabets for writing.

Purposes:      

  • To enrich the child’s vocabulary through exploration of related words.

  • To increase the child’s understanding of the nature of words.

  • To help the child make conscious classifications of various categories of nouns. 

  • Practice in reading and spelling.

Age:

  • Oral Games: 4 ½ and up.

  • Reading, Writing and Spelling: 5 and up.

Preparation: The child is working on Reading Classification

Presentation: Example of Animal and Animal Groups

Preliminary Verbal Game

  • Gather a small group of children (3-4) to sit together with you. This can be done with one child as well

  • Offer an introduction to the specific Word Study you will focus on: Example: “We know the names for many animals, but did you know that when those animals are in a group, their group has a name too?  For instance, a group of cows is called a herd and a group of wolves is called a pack. Can you think of some of these words?”

  • Go around the group allowing children to answer and offer more examples if necessary.

  • Invite the children to tell you if they think of any more of these kinds of words.  

Presentation: The Cards 

  • Invite the child for a Word Study lesson and remind them about the conversation you had about animals and animal groups. 

  • Bring the chart and cards to the table.

  • Separate the cards into two piles, one for animal names and one for animal groups.

  • The child will read the labels for animal names.  As a label is read, it will be placed in a column down the table. 

  • Turn one of the cards from the second pile. Place it to the right of the top card.  

  • Have the child read the left and then the right, if it is the name of the group that goes with the animal it stays, if not, move the card down one and have the child read.  Continue until the match is found.

  • Repeat for the rest. 

  • When the child is done, show them how to use the chart to check.  Locate the pairs on the chart as the child reads the work they place on the table. Incorrect labels are moved aside so the child can correct them at the end.

Control of Error: 

  • Comparing against the chart 

Following Exercises: 

  • Building the words with the Moveable Alphabet.  One set can be done with one color and one set with another.

  • Spelling Exercise: One child can dictate the words from the chart and the other child will build them with the Moveable Alphabet.  Checking with the chart at the end. 

Categories We Can Offer

  • Compound Words (tea & cup=teacup)

  • Singular Plural

    • Adding an ‘s’ (ant/ants)

    • Adding ‘es’(brush/brushes)

    • When the word changes slightly (mouse, mice)

  • Related Nouns

    • Rhyming words

    • Masculine/feminine

    • Animal/young

    • Animal/habitat

    • Collective names (groups of animals)

  • Contractions (cannot/can’t)

  • Word families

    • Suffixes (teach-teacher, act/acting)

    • Prefixes (flex/reflex)

    • Antonyms (opposites)

    • Synonyms (large/big, pretty/beautiful)

    • Homophones (sound the same but mean different bear/bare)

Pedagogical Notes:

  • Children really do enjoy these because they have an interest in grammar and syntax.  Rotate several sets frequently over the course of the year.