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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Word family web

Students play a fun game with spider and fly to build new words using known word families.

A lesson plan for grade 1 English Language Arts

By Peggy Johnson

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Learning outcomes

Students will use previous knowledge of word families to generate words using different beginning sounds.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

20 minutes

Materials/resources

  • Word Matters by Gay Su Pinnell and Irene C. Fountas
  • ball of black yarn
  • set of cards with initial consonants
  • set of cards with each word family to be used

Pre-activities

Students should have previously studied each of the word families to be assessed. This study should include : making new words, word family sorts, rhyming jugs, making and breaking words with magnetic letters.

Activities

  1. The teacher should arrange the students in a large circle with the teacher (spider) in the center.
  2. Give each student a consonant card that they can look at. After they have looked at their card, they should place it on the floor in front of them.
  3. The teacher then selects a student to be the “fly”.
  4. The teacher holds up a word family card (ex: -ake). When a student thinks that they can make a word using their consonant plus the word family, the teacher tosses the ball of yarn to that child. The “fly” then takes the word family card to the student so that they can put the 2 cards together to see if a true word has been made. A good question is “Does that look right?”
  5. If the student has made a word he continues to hold onto the web (yarn) and tosses the yarn ball back to the teacher (spider).
  6. Play continues using as many word families as time allows.
  7. In the end, a web will be formed as the children continue to hold their section of yarn.
  8. This is a great activity to use during Halloween or when studying spiders.

Assessment

Teacher will be able to observe each student’s ability to generate conventional words. Teacher can also use extension activities during center time or when working with words.

Supplemental information

Comments

Like most young children, my students love to play games. This activity is great because they are learning when they think they are playing.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 1

  • Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
    • Objective 5.01: Use phonic knowledge and basic patterns (e.g., an, ee, ake) to spell correctly three-and four-letter words.