A classroom word wall is a visual reminder of the high-frequency words that may also serve as a center for word games and activities. Organize the words into logical groups, such as by first letter. Add a few words to the wall daily with the children, reading and writing them as a group.
Challenge children to invent sentences that include each day's word. At first, ask students to report these sentences verbally. Later, when they are more competent at writing, instruct students to write their created sentence down. Sound out large words, but use the word wall for help spelling the high-frequency words. Have each child illustrate the sentence with a picture.
High-frequency words, as their name suggests, appear often in texts. Encourage children to look for high-frequency words in stories and books. Focus on a particular word to seek for the day. When a child finds the word, in a book or around the room, read the sentence together that contains the word.
Give students paper handouts or booklets with a story, as well as a highlighter. Instruct children to read the story, highlighting the high-frequency words that they find. You may even read the story multiple times, looking for a different high-frequency word with a different color each time. Count up the total number of words at the end.
Flash cards are a valuable tool for word memorization. Children can purchase packs of high-frequency word flashcards, but they may easily make them from scratch using a marker and cardstock cut into card shapes. Students can drill each other on flashcards and keep a growing pile of successful wins as they correctly identify more and more words.
Flash cards also can be used in other word games, such as concentration. Spread out two sets of matching flashcards face down. Students turn them over in sets of two, trying to find a matching pair. When a match is found, remove those cards. Eventually, children will develop a mental map of the invisible words, helping to quickly identify and read them.
Teacher-led activities with the high-frequency words are an opportunity to boost memorization while practicing listening skills. Give each student a list of the possible words, or use a visible word wall in the classroom. Provide clues that refer to a specific word, such as "Starts with the letter 'T'" or "Rhymes with the word 'walk.'" After each clue, students should write down a guess for the word. Narrow down the possibilities with your clues until all the students know which word you are referring to. Once students are more comfortable with reading and giving clues, they can take turns leading the game themselves.