Through this activity, students identify where they hear a specific sound in a word. On pieces of paper, draw three dashed lines in a horizontal fashion. Distribute the papers, as well as a bingo chip, to students. Explain to students that you are going to state a word and a sound and upon hearing a word, they are to place the chip on the line that indicates where they hear the sound; the first line if the sound is in the beginning of the word, the second line if the sound is in the middle of the word, and the last line if the sound is at the end of the word. For example, if you state the word "cat" and ask students where they hear the "c" sound, they should place their chips on the first line on their papers.
Have your students practice reading sight words during workshop time. Print lists of simple sentences; make sure each word contains a sight word that you have been working on with your students. Distribute the sentence lists, as well as crayons, to your students. State a sight word in a sentence and then read the sentence; as you're reading the sentence, students should read along and circle the sight word that you have stated.
Engage students in interactive writing. Compose a list, a sentence, or even a simple short story with your students. State a word and after stating the word, ask students if they can identify any of the letters in the word and have them write down the letters that they hear. If they are having difficulty identifying any of the letters, coax them. For example, if you say the word "his," ask children if they can determine the letter that the first sound in the word makes -- enunciate the sound as you say it. Once students have written all of the letters that they can identify, fill in the rest of the letters in the word and tell them the letters that you are filling in and where.
Encourage children to write short stories during workshop time. Ask students to think of a topic that interests them. Have them draw pictures to illustrate their stories. After drawing their illustrations, encourage them to use inventive spelling (phonetic spelling), as well as sight words that they are familiar with and reference words from around the room to write their stories. Provide help where it is needed. After students have written their stories, ask them to read them to you and write the correct spelling for any misspelled words. Allow students to share their stories with one another.