10 Engaging Word Work Activities and Centers
Word work is an essential component of literacy instruction because it helps students develop into better readers, writers, and spellers. Word work activities can easily be incorporated into your daily literacy instruction, centers, guided reading, and independent work. I want to share with you seven engaging word work activities and centers that you can use in your classroom!
Word Work Activity #1 - Word Work Mats
Word Work Mats are a fun, hands-on word work activity where students spin a picture, tap the sounds, map the sounds, build, write, and find the word. The words in on each word work mat all have a similar phonics pattern.
Word Work Mats are one of my favorite word work activities and are a super simple activity to prep! I simply printed out the mats and letter cards on white and colored cardstock. In order to use dry erase markers, I laminated the word work mats and the letter cards for durability. I store each phonics skill in a separate clear zipper pouch.
Word Work Activity #2 - Interactive Notebooks
Interactive Notebooks are a fun twist to traditional note taking or worksheets. With this word work activity students will enjoy coloring, cutting, and gluing. This creates an engaging notebook where students can refer to over and over. I find that my students take pride and ownership in their phonics notebooks knowing that they had so much to do with creating it. We do these as a class at the beginning of the year, but as students become more independent, the notebooks become part of their seat work activity
With this interactive notebook activity, students color the words and write a sentence using the word underneath the flap. The word work activity also allows students to read a sentence, highlight the words with the particular phonics skill, and write the highlighted words underneath the flap.
With these interactive notebooks, students also read and sort words into correct word families. Then, students glue the words underneath the word family flap. I love using this word work activity when focusing on word families.
Word Work Activity #3 - Roll, read, smash
Roll, Read, Smash is a CLASS FAVORITE word work activity! Practice decoding, word recognition, and fluency with these Roll, Read, and Smash phonics games/activities! Roll, Read, and Smash phonics games are engaging, fun, and aligned with the science of reading! Students will be excited to apply their decoding skills with these interactive and engaging phonics games. Each game board focuses on a specific phonics skill.
How to Play:
1.Students will place a small ball of dough at the end of each row.
2.Students will place transparent counters (or any small counter) on each number die.
3.Students roll a die and move the corresponding counter to the first word. Students can only move ONE space.
4.Students will read the word.
5.Keep playing until a counter reaches the end of the row and SMASH the dough ball!
These games are easy to prepare. Simply print the game boards, grab some dough, and counters! They
Word Work Activity #4 - White Crayon Magic
White Crayon Magic is one of my students’ favorite word work activities! Students will write their spelling or sight words in the boxes with a white crayon first. Then, they will use markers to color over the white crayon. Finally, they will watch the magic happen! The white crayon shows through the markers. This is such a fun word work activity. You can grab White Crayon Magic HERE.
Word Work Activity #5 - WRITE THE ROOM
Write the Room is another student favorite word work activity and great for students to move while practicing phonics! This Write the Room is for CVC, blends, and digraphs. It is perfect for centers or independent work. I love to use this as one of our centers during word study.
Write the Room is the perfect way to include phonics practice and movement! Simply select which cards you would like to use and print the corresponding student recording sheet. Place the write the room cards around your classroom and students will walk around finding all 16 words!
You can grab the Write the Room Bundle HERE.
Word Work Activity #6 - Hidden Words
Grab your magnifying glasses for this fun word work activity! Hidden Words is such a simple, yet engaging word work activity. I simply select a picture and type in our spelling or sight words. This word work activity is editable, so the words can be typed in as large or as small as you would like. I let my students use fun markers to find and write their words. You can find Hidden Words HERE.
Word Work Activity #7 - Playdoh and Stamp Spelling
This word work activity combines a few of my favorite things..Play-Doh and alphabet stamps! Have you ever tried using these two together? I think the Play-Doh is a little less messy than ink. My students love spreading out the Play-Doh and stamping letters in it to spell their sight words, spelling words, or vocabulary words. This is an easy word work activity that students will love doing over and over!
Word Work Activity #8 - Read and link
Students only need 2 materials with this word work activity! Practice decoding, word recognition, and fluency with these Read and Link Chain Cards! They will need a link chain and the phonics word and picture cards that come with the activity. Students will be excited to apply their decoding skills with these interactive and engaging linking cards. Students will use chain links to connect a word with the correct picture.
Word Work Activity #9 - Spin A Word
My students LOVE this one! Anytime we get to use “spinners” they are extremely engaged! With Spin A Word, students use a paper clip and a pencil to create their spinner. They will place the paper clip on the center of the circle and then put their pencil point on the small, black dot in the center. Then they will use their fingers to spin the paper clip. Finally, students write the word(s) they land on.
Word Work Activity #10 - MIX AND MATCH
I love using these Mix and Match Phonics Games as part of our small group work and independent phonics centers! The phonics games are simple, but very engaging for students to complete on their own. This makes it a perfect word work activity to add to your rotations!
Students read a word and find the picture to match the word. I also like to add a dry erase board and marker to the center. This way, students can also get practice writing the word!
You can grab the Mix and Match Bundle HERE.
Check out below for links to all the products I used for my word work activities!
*This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a small commission on any purchases made through my links.
I hope you found some new and exciting word work activities that you can add to your literacy instruction!
If you have any questions about the word work activities I talked about today, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Happy Teaching Friends!