Writing/Reading Center Activities

Resources

Sites with content area vocabulary lists Math, Science and social studies terms for 3rd - 5th grade

htt p : / / s b0 58. k12 . s d . u s / V oc a b u l a r y / c lick_ o n _ th e _ g r a d e _l e ve l _ to_f i n d . h t m

Vocabulary A to Z - http://www.vocabularya-z.com/vocabweb/home.do Terms for Everyday Math by grade level up to grade 4

http: // ww w. li von iapu blicsc hoo ls.o r g/Gar field.c f m ?su bp ag e= 1743 0

Sites with Sight Word/High Frequency Words Flash Cards- h t t p : / / bog g l e s w o r ld es l .com / d o l c h / f l a s h c a r d s . h t m Great website with many flash cards and downloadable games:

http: // ww w. t he sc hoo lbell. co m/Li nks /Do lc h /Co nt e nt s. html

Sites to download Graded Reading Passages Readworks: Dowloadable passages by grade level with comprehension

questions. Must register to use but free: 1

htt p : / / w w w . r e a d w o r ks. o rg / bo o k s / p as sa g e s Reading A to Z: Over 1,000 downloadable leveled books with worksheets. This

site charges $74.94 per site and you do have to pay for printing out the books, but it is cheaper than buying that many books.

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1. Games for practicing sight wordsTic Tac Toe -Two playersMaterials: Paper with the tic tac toe board drawn on it, Word CardsHave the players randomly write sight words in the tic tac toe squares. Then theytake turns selecting a space to read. If the player is correct, they may put an X orO for their team. If they are incorrect, the other team gets to try the same word.

Boo! - Two playersMaterials: Word cards, a container, 3-4 “boo” cards depending on howmany words in the container.Put at least 25 word cards into the container, plus 3-4 Boo Cards. Partners take turns pulling out a word and reading it. If the person canread the word correctly, he or she keeps the card. If not, they return it to thecan. If a participant pulls out the word "Boo!" they must return all of their cards, including the Boo card, into the container. The first player to get 10 cards, wins.

Variation: The participant that pulls out the word card reads it aloud and the other students write the word. Those participants spelling it correctly get a point. The next person pulls out a card and reads it for the others to write, and so on.

2. Treasure ChestPut 4-5 different items into a box. (You can have the participants decorate thebox like a treasure chest if desired.) Participants take out the items and write theword for each item on a 5 x 8 index card. Then, they use the words to write complete sentences. Change the items often.

3. OrigamiPut directions for various origami projects in a folder. In the folder, also have squares of different color paper. Keep changing the directions as the participants master them. The following websites and books have directions you can copy. Origami for kids: ht t p :/ / www .a c tivityvil l a g e. c o .u k / o r ig a mi _ f o r _ k i d s.htm

Origami Club: htt p :/ / en. o r ig a m i - cl ub. c o m/ Easy Origami (Dover Origami Papercraft) John Montroll

4. Post OfficeSupplies: Different types of writing paper, Pencils and pens, If desired, make aPost box from a shoe box including materials to decorate the boxTalk to the participants about sending and receiving letters. Introduce the fact

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that the program is going to start a Post Office. Allow the children to generate the rules and policies for the Post Office including:

How and when the mail is going to be collected and delivered Privacy and sharing issues Consequences for inappropriate language/ content or hurtful messages Whether anonymous letters can be sent

If desired, have them decorate the mailbox they are going to use. Have a copy of the outline for the proper form for writing informal letters. Tell them that theyshould not worry about spelling, but should make sure they use the right form when they write the letters. Encourage the participants to write letters to each other throughout the year. Have regular mail calls during the year.

Safety Rules for Exchanging Letters Regular or E-mail1. Only tell your first name.2. Do not give out personal information such as your last name, home address,

parent's work address, or telephone number.3. Never share a password for an Internet game or chat room with the online key pal.4. Never agree to meet in person, especially alone, with someone you met online.5. Notify the teacher and/or parent if you receive an obscene message.6. Never send identifying pictures to your key pal. Class pictures are fine to send as

long as individuals are not named (for example, John is the third person in the second row).

7. Never attach pictures or other files to an e-mail message unless the people receivingthe message have given you permission.

5. Journal WritingSupplies: Homemade or purchased journalsMaking easy homemade journals:Take two pieces of heavy construction paper and about 20 sheets of white copy paper. Use the construction paper as the front and back covers and staple the white copy paper between the covers. Have the participants decorate their covers.

On the top of every blank page of the journal, have them write the suggested prompts on the next page or brainstorm other ideas. Make sure they write the date of the entry. You can also use pictures for prompts.

Prompts to elicit ideas around Self –Esteem One way I am different from everyone else is . . . Most people think I am . . . Someone made me feel special when …. My parents show me that they like me when ….. I feel encouraged when . . . I am important because . . .

Prompts for Journal Writing One thing I do better than anyone else is . . . Other people are important because . . .Prompts to elicit ideas around Sense of Autonomy I think that the teacher's responsibilities are to... When my mom is upset with me, I … One time, I was afraid to try something new … I tried something that I thought I could do and it … I feel safe asking for help because …

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Prompts for eliciting ideas about Social Skills When my friend and I disagree about what we want to do, I... If someone does not like something I do I would like them to ... When I’m upset, I like my friend to … When my mother is angry at me for something, I would like

her to... If I am afraid of something, I would like my friend to ...Prompts for eliciting ideas about Decision Making Something I enjoy doing that others do not is ... Once I had a problem that no one else could help me with. I ... Some problems I have right now are If I could earn my own money, I would feel ... The problem I solved on my own was .... Some decisions I made today were ...

Something about myself (besides my looks) that I would like tochange is …

Prompts for eliciting ideas about Morality and Hope When I get in trouble, I ... The worst thing I ever did to anyone was ... One time I did something that I knew I'd get in trouble for, but I

did it anyway because … A place that is very special to me is ... When I get discouraged, I make myself feel better by . . . If my friend stole something, I would ... When I have to make hard decisions, I ... Five of the most important things in my life are

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6. Round Robin WritingSupplies: Writing prompts such as incomplete sentence lists or engaging pictures, sets of pens withdifferent color inks, lined paperStage One: Getting StartedDivide the participants into groups of no more than four people and no less than two. Make sureeach member of the group has a pen with different colored ink. The group should have only one piece of paper for the entire group. Provide them with a writing prompt. One person in the group starts writing. That person writes a sentence with his or her pen, and passes the paper to the next person, who writes a sentence with his or her pen, and then passes it on. The group continues totake turns writing sentences until time is called. After time is called, each group takes turns reading their stories.Stage Two: Refining the narrative (Do not rush into stage two. Have the groups do a few RoundRobin sessions over a couple of weeks before introducing stage two.)Talk to participants about what makes a good narrative:Setting: main characters, time, place of the story action.Initiating Event (Problem): An action or happening that sets up a problem or dilemma for the story.Events: Sequence of actions that lead up to the solutionSolution: The result of the eventsReaction: A response by the main character to the consequenceEncourage the participants to be conscious of the elements of a good narrative as they write their next story. They might want to discuss their setting, problem and solution before they start writing, letting the event between the beginning and the ending take shape spontaneously. Have them follow the same process as stage one. After they have finished writing, have them find all the nouns and if they do not have a description word or phrase for that noun, add one. Do the samething for the verbs. Remember, it is more important that the participants have fun with their stories than to get all the elements perfectly correct. If you find that the groups are becoming discouraged or “thinking” too hard about what they are writing, encourage them to just let go of any of the pre-plans they have made before writing, and just get the ideas down.

7. Drawing the Vocabulary (For those students who love to draw) Directions: Have the participants draw pictures or cartoons illustrating the meaning of their spelling words or any other list of new words. Many times the participants cannot do their math homework because they are unfamiliar with the terminology. Give them a list of grade appropriate math terms and have them make a cartoon that illustrates the concept. You can also have them draw cartoons that illustrate different feelings. (List of feeling words found below.)

8. Making WordsSupplies: Making words game sheet, cut up lettersDirections: Have packets of letters that when put together make up a word. (See the handout below for examples ready to be cut up). Have the participants work in teams

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to make as manywords they can with the letters and write them down on the sheet. The highest score wins. Remind them if they can use all the letters to make one word they get bonus points.

9. Secret codeSupplies: Code sheetDirections: Have the participants try out different codes, by writing messages to each other. IF desired, they can write a message in code on a sheet of white paper and then decorate it with images that illustrate the theme about what they wrote. Make sure you have clear rules about the topics they can write about when using cod

10. Independent reading questionsSupplies: Question Cards, ( you might want to copy the cards on two different colored cardstock) dice, lots of reading material including stories, magazines and newspapers, 3 x 5 index card Directions: After participant has reads either a story or nonfiction book, article or magazine, he or she rollsthe dice and answers either question with the number they rolled and writes the answer on the index card.

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Boo cards if using flash cards from

ht t p: / /bo gg les w o rld e sl.c o m / dolch/ f lash ca rds.htm

Boo Boo

Boo Boo

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Treasure ChestInside the bag are 4-5 different items. Take out the items and write the word for each item on the top of your card. Now write a story using all the words.

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JUMPING FROGUse a small rectangle of stiff paper; A 3" by 5" file card is just right.

1. Fold in half length- wise. Unfold.

2. Bring top edge to side edge. Unfold.

3. Bring top edge to side edge. Unfold. Turn it over.

4. Bring top edge down to place where diagonal creases reach sides. The fold will pass through the point where the diagonals cross. Unfold. Turn it over.

5. Push in the center of paper where all the creases intersect. The edges will fold up on the prepared lines. Push the sides inward and the top down on top of them. Press flat.

6. Fold the little flaps in half upward. They willbecome the front legs. (This triangles with fourflaps is called the "water- bomb base" and is usedto make many origamimodels.)

7. Bring side edges to meet at the center crease.

8. Fold front leg flaps in half downward and outward.

9. Bring bottom edge to tip of nose.

10. Fold upper flap in half downward. Turn it over.

11. Finished Frog.Push down on rear edge. As finger slips off, Frog jumps. Can you make her jump into a box?

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Origami CatThis is probably the easiest of our origamianimals, so it is perfect for beginners. It looks great on a greetings card with a bow underits chin, or tape it to a wooden spoon to make a puppet. If you use a very large piece of paper you could even make a mask! We have used stick-on googly eyes and a black marker to draw our cat’s features.

1. Start by folding your square in half diagonally, and creasing carefully.2. Fold your triangle in half again to form a crease. Open it back out again.

3. Take the top point of the triangle and fold it down along the crease, about 1/4 of the way.

4. Take one of the bottom corners and fold it up, taking it at an angle as shown in the photo above. The point will form the cat’s ear.5. Fold the other corner up too.6. Turn the model over, and add your cat’s features! (see above)www.a c t iv i t y vil l a g e.co. u k

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ENVELOPE PATTERN

<Your name> stamp<address><city, state, zip code>

LETTER PATTERN

<Name of person you are writing><Their address><Their city, state, zip code>

<Date: Month, Day, Year>

Dear ,

<message>

Yours truly,

<Signature>

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Round Robin Writing

With a partner, choose a picture, and each person choose a different color pen. One person writes the first sentence of a story about the picture. Then pass the paper to the next person, who writes a sentence with his or her pen, and then passes it back.Continue to take turns writing sentences until time is called or you run out of ideas.

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Making Words

Use the letters found in the envelope and make as many words as you can. Write down the words in the appropriate column. When time is called, count the number of words in each column and multiply by the number of points for that column to get your total score.

Letters:

Point system: The number of the letters in the word equals the points. For example, 5 letter word = 5 points. You get 10 bonus points if you can use all the letters to make one word.

Twoletter words

Threeletter words

Fourletter words

Five letterwords

Six letterwords

Sevenletter words

Eightletter words

Morethan eight

letters

Bonus 10 points:Whole Word

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C O M M U N I T I E S

S K A T E B O A R D S

E A R T H W O R M S

S E C R E T A R Y

For older participants

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C O U N T R Y

P A L A C E

G I A N T S

L I Z A R D S

For younger participants

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DrawingVocabulary

Drawpicturesor cartoons

illustratingthe meaning of your

quiet

spelling words. If youdon’t

have any spellingwords, ask your staffmemberto give you alist.

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FEELING’S WORDS LISTWords that express positive feelings

accepting adequate affectionate amazed animated appreciated attracted befriended blessedbold bravecalm capablecertain cheerfulclever courageous

comfortable compassionate content confident considerate curiousdaring delighteddetermined encourageeager ecstaticelatedenergetic enthusiastic excited exuberant

fascinated fortunate free fulfilled generous glad grateful great happy helpful high hopeful important inspired interested joyfulkind

loved loving lucky merry optimistic peaceful playful pleased passionate proud quiet refreshed relaxed relieved satisfied secure sensitive

serene spirited super respected safe surprised sympathetic tender terrific thankful trusted thrilledunderstanding valuedwonderful

Words that express negative feelings

abandoned angry afraid aggressive alienated alone annoyed anxiousapprehensive ashamedawfulbad betrayedbitterbored bugged burdened caught cheated confused concerned cowardly crushed

defeated dejected deprived desperate different disappointed disillusioned disinterested discouraged disgusting dissatisfied distrustful distressed doubtfuldull embarrassed empty envious exhausted fearful foolish frightened frustrate

grief guilty hateful heartbroken helpless hostile humiliated hurt impulsive incapable infuriate intimidated insecureinsignificant irritatedisolated jealousleft out lonelylost lousy madmelancholy

menaced miserable mixed-up nervous nosyoverwhelmed painedpanic persecutedpowerless preoccupied pushyput-down rejectedresentful restlessscaredshocked shaky shy skepticalsorrowful squeezed

startled surprised suspicious tearful tense terrible terrified tired threatened tormented trapped troubled uncertain uneasy unhappy unloved unpleasant upset unsettled unsure uptight wary weary

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EXAMPLES OF CODES

NUMBER SUBSTITUTIONS1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

You can change the order of the numbers and letter match so that maybe a=4, r=1 etc. to make the code harder to break. You can do the same thing with letter substitutions. For example

s y m b o l a d f g h i j k n r u p t q v w x z c ea b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

THE POLYBIUS SQUAREEach letter can be referred to as a pair of numbers: 1,4 is a D. / is used to indicate an end to a word. Forexample, 2,3, 1,5, 3,1, 3,1, 3,4/ means <hello.> To make the code more complicated you can change the order of the letters, as long as both you and the person who gets the code as a key.

1 2 3 4 51 A B C D E2 F G H I or J K3 L M N O P4 Q R S T U5 V W X Y Z

BOOK CODESBoth the writer and the receiver have to have the same book in order to use this code. Make sure the editions ofthe books are the same. Numbers are used to show the page and line on which a word is to be found. The first word of the sentence on the page and the line listed is the “message” word. You can make it more complex by also listing the number of the position of the word on the line. For example, 10 17 8 would be the word found on page 10, line 7, 8th word in on the line.

MORSE CODE

A .- J . --- S ... 0 ---- 8 ---..B -… K -.- T - 1 .---- 9 ----.C -.-. L .-.. U ..- 2 ..--- Period .-.-.-D -.. M -- V ... _ 3 ...-- Comma --..--E . N -. W ...- 4 ....- Question Mark ..--..F ..-. O --- X -..- 5 .....G -- . P .--. Y -.-- 6 -....H …. Q --.- Z --.. 7 --...I .. R .-.

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Questions after Reading Fiction

1. In your opinion, was the title a good title for this book? Why or why not?

1. If there was a problem, did it get solved?

2. What was your favorite place in the story? 2. Why do you think the

author wrote this book?

3. What is the most important point the author is trying to make in his writing?

3. What was your favorite part of the story?

4. If you could change one thing in the story, what would it be?

4. What was the first and last thing that happened in the story?

5. If you were the character….., how would have felt about what happened in the story?

5. What is the most interesting situation in the story?

6. Is there a character in the story like you? How are you alike?

6. Why did you like or not like this book?

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Questions After Reading Non-Fiction

1. In your opinion, was the title a good title? Why or why not?

1. What was the mostinteresting fact that you learned from the material?

2. What new thing did you learn after reading this material?

2. Why do you think the author wrote about this topic?

3. What is the mostimportant point the author is trying to make in his writing?

3. What pictures or illustrations did you find interesting? Why?

4. What other information about the topic would like to know?

4. What did you like or not like about this reading material?

5. What questions would you ask the author if you ever had the opportunity to meet him/her?

5. Is this material like anyother book that you have read? If so, how are they alike? How are theydifferent?

6. What was somethingyou learned from reading this material thatyou would like to share with a friend?

6. What other information about the topic would like to know?

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DOLCH WORDS LISTSStudents should know list 1, 2, 3 by end of 1st, List 4 by end of 2nd, List 5 by end of 3rd.

List 1 aandaway big blue can come down find for funnygohelpherein isitjump little look make memy not one play red runsaidseethethree to two up we whereyellow you

List 2 anare at ate be black brown but did do eat four getgood have he intolike new no nowon our out please pretty ranridesay shesosoonthat theretheythis toowantwas well went whatwhitewho win with

List 3afteragainan any as ask by could every fly from give goinghad has her himhishow lastknowlet live may of old once open over putroundsomestoptake thank themthenthink walk werewhen

List 4 alwaysaround because been beforebestboth buy cat cold doesdon'tfast first five foundgavegoes green its mademany offor pull readright sing sit sleep tell theirthese thoseupon us use verywash which why wish workwould write your

List 5 aboutbetter bring carry cleancut done draw drink eight fail far full got growhold hot hurt if keep kindlaugh light long muchmyself neveronly ownpickseven shallshow six smallstart ten today togethertry warm

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