Making
words
Making words provides a structured way for students to experiment
with words and investigate how the sounds of language are put together
(Cunningham,
1994). It is important that students have an opportunity for freedom
to choose, explore, make, and play with words.
Making words can take
a number of different formats that provide different degrees of
structure. For each lesson, the teacher selects
a group
of letters that the students will use to build words that ultimately
lead up to a "mystery word" at the end. Making words lessons
may take on different degrees of structure, depending on the needs
of the students and instructional purposes of the teacher. Teachers
may lead students in a pre-determined sequence to build specific
words, or students may form words on their own.
Why Making Words
is important for struggling readers
Making words allows students
to manipulate the sounds of language by physically arranging letters
to form words and focus on how
moving the letters changes the sound and meaning of words. Struggling
readers
may enjoy the opportunity to play with language in a hands-on
format and use their creativity to form new words. Making words may
also
provide
a helpful scaffold for children as they spell words. Instead
of having a whole alphabet to choose from, they form words using
the
handful
of letters at their fingertips.
Instructional considerations
- Managing making words can be challenging. The process of making
sure that each student has the correct group of letters
can be time-consuming. See this discussion forum for teachers'
ideas on how to manage instructional
time using this activity: http://www.readingonline.org/articles/words/forum.html
- Some
teachers and researchers have expressed the concern that Making
Words provides students with exposure to a lot
of letter
sounds and
patterns but does provide deep study in word identification
and spelling strategies. It may be helpful to think
about ways to
complement Making
Words with other word study strategies, such as word
sorts and word walls. Embedding this activity within a whole-part-whole
lesson structure
may also provide meaningful context for readers.
- Teachers
may use Making Words to target specific spelling patterns or
features of language (homophones, etc.). Cunningham's
books
provide lists of spelling patterns with corresponding
pages for making words
activities.
What it looks like
Word Wizards: Students Making Words -- semi-structured
lesson format
http://www.reading.org/resources/tools/lessons/150.html
Timothy
Rasinski's modified version: Making and Writing Words:
http://www.readingonline.org/articles/words/rasinski_index.html
Making
and Writing Words using letter patterns
http://www.readingonline.org/articles/art_index.asp?HREF=rasinski/index.html
Suggested
instructional procedures for Making Words also appear in Cunningham's
Making Words series as well as
Phonics They
Use: Words
for Reading and Writing.
 Teacher
Tips
How do you use Making Words in your class? Submit your
ideas here!
Resources and Links
 Websites for Students
Word Wizard -- In this online, interactive Making Words
activity, students use words from favorite children's
literature (Curious
George, Chrysanthemum,
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Franklin in the
Dark) to make words in response to a spoken prompt.
http://readwritethink.org/materials/wordwizard/
Related lesson plan:
Word Wizards: Students Making Words
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=150
Bookworm
game -- In this Tetris-like game, students connect letters to make
words (free Web version
requires Java;
free PC download)
http://www.popcap.com/launchpage.php?theGame=bookworm&src=big8
Word
Build -- Students build words after selecting a word family. Students
can print out the words
that they
build
and use the
printout to make
a word sort.
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/wordbuild/
Starfall Make-a-Word - Emerging readers select a word family and use picture cues to
build words.
They can
also read
online books
that correspond
to each word family.
http://www.starfall.com/n/level-a/learn-to-read/load.htm?f
 Websites
for Teachers
Overview of Making Words strategy
http://www.readingcenter.buffalo.edu/center/research/word.html
Books
Making Words series from Patricia Cunningham and
Dorothy Hall:
- Making Words: Multilevel, Hands-on,
Developmentally Appropriate Spelling and Phonics Activities
- Making
More Words: Multilevel, Hands-on Phonics and Spelling Activities
- Making
Big Words: Multilevel, Hands-on Spelling and Phonics Activities
- Making
More Big Words
See also:
Phonics They Use: Words for Reading and
Writing (3rd Ed.) by Patricia
Cunningham. New York:
Addison Wesley,
2000.
Month-by Month Phonics by Cunningham & Hall:
Teacher resource books for specific
grade levels
http://www.carsondellosa.com/mbm/mbm.htm
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