1. a multilevel hands-on phonics and spelling activity

2.  Become more able readers and writers  Increase word knowledge  Discover patterns

3. Each student is given a strip of letters that forms a secret word. The letters are cut apart and placed at the top of the student’s desk alphabetically.

4. A large pocket chart hung in the front of the room also displays the letters.

5. The teacher instructs the students to make a given word using the number of letters indicated. Each student makes the word at his/her desk.

6. Next, a student is chosen to make the word in the front of the room.

7. As each word is made, the students read through the word touching their fingers on each letter as the sound is said.

8. The teacher then displays the word on the chart before giving the next word.

9. The first few words made are small. The words get bigger as the lesson progresses. This phase of the lesson ends with the students guessing the “Big Word” in which every letter is used. cnvoarires

10. Next, students sort words by putting them in groups according to patterns they may find. These patterns could be consonant clusters, prefixes, rhymes, etc.

11. The final stage of the lesson is the ‘transfer’ part. This is where the students use the patterns they found to think of other words that may follow the same pattern.

12. Your child may bring home letters from a “Making Words” lesson from time to time. Sit down with him/her and see how many words you can make together. It will also be a challenge to guess the big word.