Word Family Focus During Skills Block

During the Skills Block portion of our day, we focus on two word families a week. On Monday, we introduce the word families. This week was the "-ake" and the "-ide" families. By writing on these blank picture cards, students brainstorm words that are in that family. For instance in the "-ake" family, there is rake, make, and stake. We review these words daily by pointing to each and having them say the rhyme and onset together "r-ake - rake." By teaching the children word families, they learn how to make multiple words from just knowing part of word. We say, "If I can spell "-ake", I can spell rake, take, and make." By the third day, students pick four words from the family. They draw a picture and write a short sentence using each word. In this way, we can check to see if they understand the word and use it appropriately in the sentence. Below is a sample of the activity.