Finding entertaining and effective word work centers can be a CHORE. I remember looking for the perfect combination of skills practices and seeing the same old exercises over and over. Ugh! That’s when I created my favorite word work resource ever!
The biggest goal of word work centers is to help students build and break apart words which help to solidify how words are constructed and how the meaning of words can change with affixes. This is a vital exercise for all students learning word systems.
There is a wide variety of exercises you can give your students for this type of practice. This bundle below actually has 20 centers focused on mastering this skill in a fun way! There is also a visual direction card with each center so students can easily work independently as well.
These are the word work centers in this bundle:
Rainbow words: Students write words with a variety of colors. A recording sheet is included.
Type It: Students “type” words on a file folder laptop, then write them with a dry erase marker on the “laptop screen.” Printouts for file folder laptop included. This is especially fun for the younger students in pretend play mode!
Roll a Color: Students roll a die and write their word in the color that they roll. Printable die and recording sheet included.
Spin a Style: Students use a spinner to decide how they will write their word: crayon, marker, or pencil. Spinner and recording sheet provided.
Super Sentences: Students use their words in a sentence, then use a marker to underline their word. Recording sheet provided.
Dotty Words: Students write their words in Dotty Letters. Recording sheet and Dotty Letters Guide provided.
Magnet Words: Students build their words with magnets on a magnetic surface.
Mystery Words: Students will write their words in a white crayon, then color over it in marker to reveal the word. Recording sheet provided.
Stamp It: Students write their words, then stamp their words. A recording sheet is provided.
ABC Order: Students write 8 of their words, then cut/glue them in ABC order. Recording sheet provided.
Play-Doh Words: Students write their words with dry erase marker, then build it with Play-Doh. Recording sheet/mat provided. This is also a great motor skills activity!
Syllable Sort: Students write 8 of their words and then sort by number of syllables. Differentiated recording sheets provided.
Grammar Sort: Students write 8 of their words and then sort by part of speech. Differentiated recording sheets provided.
Roll a Smell: Students will roll a die and use the Roll-A-Smell guide to decide what scent Mr. Sketch marker to write their word with. A recording sheet and a Roll-A-Smell guide are provided.
Picture It: Students pick 4 words, then draw a picture to represent each word. A recording sheet is provided.
Chalk Words: Students write their words on a chalkboard.
Fancy Letters: Students write their words in fancy letters. Fancy Letters guide and recording sheet provided.
Sum It Up: Students use a key to assign each letter of their word a number, then they add to find the total of their word. Recording sheet provided.
Doodle Words: Students use a key to write a doodle symbol for each of the letters in their words. Recording sheet provided.
Vowels and Consonants: Students write their words with vowels in red and consonants in blue. Recording sheet and Vowels and Consonants Guide provided.
All of these centers are perfect for any time of the school year and are easy prep! Each center focuses on intentional practice for building and breaking down words in a fun way. My students loved these unique games and would even choose them during free time!
Grab this resource to work smarter, not harder, on your center time this coming year! You can find more amazing resources here!
