Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Fun Ways to Engage Kindergarten Students in Word Study

As evidenced in the video Word Study, there are many ways we as teachers can make word study fun and engaging for all students.  At the kindergarten level, it's important to structure lessons that incorporate all 3 learning domains (cognitive, affective, and psychomotor) to address the different learning styles of students.  Some children are cognitive learners, others become engaged by being able to share things of interest to them, and still others learn by connecting concepts with an activity. 

Two effective teaching methods for teaching kindergartners about letter sounds and words are (1) reading a big book such as Jolly Olly in which students get to guess new words as letters are dropped from current words and (2) using a student name chart in which students construct their first and last names and then share observations about their name with the group.  Both of these methods can be used during guided and independent practice depending on the needs of the students.

Numerous other instructional methods exist for teaching phonemic awareness, etc. to kindergartners.  The key is to use a multi-modal approach that stimulates and engages all students.  At this age level, students want to learn and show teachers what they know.  All that they need is a safe, non-threatening environment in which to participate.  

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