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Fun Literacy Activities

Activities to Help Your Child Read

A powerful way to support your child's literacy skills is by reading, writing and playing with trick words (irregular words) These are words that your child may not be able to sound out, either because they have not been taught the phonics rules yet or part(s) of the word are not decodable, so they must learn that part of the word by "heart".

Try some of these Fundations Trick Word Lists for Grades K-3 activities with your child:

  • Word-O: This is played just like BINGO. Fill in a card with the words that you are working on. Call out the words and mark the spaces. The first one with a card covered calls out the word “WORDO!”
  • Word Hunt: Look for target words in books or in the newspaper. If using the newspaper your child can highlight or circle the words that she finds.
  • Word Jump: Write the sight words onto the driveway. Call out a word. Have your child jump their way to the sight word.
  • SNAP: You put the sight words you want them to practice on flash cards and put the flash cards into a jar. Also, you write the word SNAP on a few flash cards and put them in to the jar. The kids can play in partners or in groups of 3 or 4 with siblings. They take turns pulling a card out of the jar. If they can say the word on the card automatically with no struggle, they get to keep the card. If they struggle, they have to put it back. If they pull out one of the cards that says SNAP, they have to put all of the card they’ve drawn back. The first person to 5 cards (or 10) wins!
  • Stair Chase: Place two sight word cards on each stair. Let them pick one sight word on the way up, saying the word and picking up the card when they get it correctly. Have them practice the other sight words on the way down.
  • Concentration: Create two sets of word cards. Place the word cards face down. Have your child turn over two cards, trying to make a match. Continue until all of the words are matched.
  • Play who am I? Lay out the word cards. Then give your child clues to what the selected word is. For example, if the word was “red,” you could say – I rhyme with bed. I had three letters. I end with the letter D. Have your child locate the word.
  • Chalk Writing: Go outside and practice writing the sight words with chalk on the sidewalk.
  • Beat the Clock: See how many times your child can write a word in one minute. Or see how many flash cards your child can read in one minute.
  • Paper Plate Toss: Write sight words on paper plates. Use them like frisbees to throw after reading the word. Add in some additional fun by adding a target.
  • Flashlight Words: Turn off the lights. Tape words on the wall or ceiling. Use the flashlight to shine on the word, then have your child read it.
  • Go Fish: With a duplicate set of word cards play “Go Fish.” You can easily make your own cards out of index card
  • Paper Plate Toss: Write sight words on paper plates. Use them like frisbees to throw after reading the word. Add in some additional fun by adding a target.
  • Flashlight Words: Turn off the lights. Tape words on the wall or ceiling. Use the flashlight to shine on the word, then have your child read it.
  • Go Fish: With a duplicate set of word cards play “Go Fish.” You can easily make your own cards out of index card