Word Building Folders

I'm back with another idea from my recent workshop!  This idea is for making individual Making Words Folders for you class.  It's easy to make and so useful!.  All you need are file folders and small size post-it notes.

First you will need to write each letter with a sharpie on the folder.  Then you will want to put the post-it notes on top.  You may need to make more than one post-it for commonly used letters.  It was also recommended to use four separate colors of post-it notes.  This way when a student builds a word most sounds will be different colors and can be more easily distinguished.  Click on the picture above for more detailed instructions on how to make your own class set of Making Words Folders.  

With that same idea, you can also color a tongue depressor and have kids practice beginning, middle, and ending sounds in words.  Or you can get linking cubes and practice chunking the sounds in a word by snapping different colored cubes together to represent each sound.  Another simple idea was writing short words such as "me."  Then fold over the end of an index card and put a "t" on the fold.  Now the word is met.  You can make it more difficult and write larger words such as silent e words for example "mad" becomes "made."

There were so many more ideas from this workshop.  If all goes well, I hope to have another idea for everyone tomorrow too!