Daily 5: Word Work

Today, I am on my fourth day of discussing how Daily 5 is working in my classroom. During Daily 5, one component we are involved in is Word Work. This is the student’s opportunity to work with spelling patterns, high-frequency words, language skills, and other foundational reading skills. A lot of teachers have Word Work as a changing activity each day because of the wide variety of skills that can be covered here.

More Strategies for Word Work are found in the Daily 5 Book.

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Daily 5: Word Work

I take Word Work as an opportunity for students to practice their spelling words. I am doing spelling using Words Their Way this year and grouping my students into three different leveled groups. Also, I’m giving a Tic-Tac-Toe box to do weekly. During Daily 5, these students are practicing their spelling words with one Tic-Tac-Toe box a day. They work out of their O.W.L. Binders every day in their homework section.

Below, you see a few kiddos hard at work…

Also, during Word Work, I’ll sometimes pull a group and do small group Making Words or let them do Making Words on their own. I follow Systematic Sequential Instruction with my Making Words.

Here is how I organize it…

#1- I start with my baskets and a large Ziploc filled with my ABC bags.

Daily 5- Word Work- Putting it all together at the beginning of the year

#2- I Unload my letters and set out letters.

#3- Now, I pull out letters for the mystery word of the day.

#4- I’ll set out baskets of letters and tell students how many of each letter to get. It is like the lunch line in the cafeteria. They just walk down the row of baskets and grab one out of each.

#5- Finally, I write the letters they should have, then 2-(# of letters in the word) on the board. Then we work on adding sounds, making plurals, finding blends in words, etc.

Also, check out this post on Daily 5: Listen to Reading.