Use a sock-covered Slinky and some index cards to make an interactive game for young children learning about compound words. After covering the Slinky with a sock, attach a small piece of fabric fastener to the front and back end of the "word snake." Children can attach index cards with words on the front and fabric fastener on the back onto the outstretched Slinky, and watch them form into a compound word as the Slinky comes together. They can also break up the compound words by removing one of the individual cards.
Using worksheets provides teachers with many possibilities for fun lessons on compound words. Students can find compound words in a word search, or unscramble compound words, then separate them into two smaller words. Provide students with worksheets containing two columns of words and ask them to draw lines between columns, forming compound words. These worksheets make fun homework assignments, or activities for free time in the classroom.
Teachers can compare compound words to puzzles, explaining to students how small words act like pieces of the puzzle. Create compound word puzzles by cutting cardboard rectangles into the shapes of two puzzle pieces and writing a word on each piece. Students can fit the puzzle pieces together to form words, such as football, rainbow and waterfall. They can also take home a picture puzzle and work on spotting these objects in a picture full of different items.
By playing educational games in class, teachers give students positive learning experiences. Play a compound word bingo game, encouraging students to spot words or pictures on bingo cards. As you call out words, such as rain, bow, foot and ball, the children will cover the words as pairs, representing compound words. They can also dig through a tub of rice or sand to search for pictures of objects that match up as compound words.