Management Monday: Word Work {made easy}

I do the Daily 5. I love {almost} everything about the Daily 5 and I find myself modifying it for my kiddos {which is exactly how it should be}.

Word work can seem like a management mess. But it's not! You just give your expectations by making those lovely handwritten anchor charts and going over them and over them and over them {and building their stamina}. After I think they've got it, I transfer those handwritten anchor charts and cutesify them. I mostly do this because of lack of space {those charts take up a lot of space} I'm OCD.

Sorry ya'll! Due to copyright, I'm not allowed to share this {I emailed the Sisters and they said no, but I totally understand!} but I did want to show you what I hang up next to my word work spot.

I love doing the non-examples of what to do in word work. "Boys and girls, who can raise their hand and show us what not to do during word work". About a million hands fly up!  One of my boys started showing us word work and from what we were all seeing, it looked correct. But before I knew it, he was using the letter stamps and stamping his face. We all about died laughing. Needless to say, no one has ever even come close to getting a dab of ink on their skin since then. :)


Here's my tip for word work: MAKE IT SIMPLE. There's no need to make 10 sets of cutesy word work centers to put in your bins. I have my bins like this {and a stack of paper on the side that they use a lot during word work}:

Here's a close-up of some of the labels:

Click {here} to download

Don't you just LOVE the polka dot borders?
Head over to Karen's TpT store and download them for FREE!

They practice their spelling words {or spelling rule} during word work and they know how to use all of these supplies.  I also have a bin labeled "weekly activities". This is where your cute themed activity can go for the week {just choose one}.  Right now I have one of Abby's Long A Word Work activities in there. Love it because it's just what my kiddos need to practice their spelling rule this week {a_e}.

They can choose one activity and they must stick with that activity for the whole round {unless they choose the weekly activity...when they finish that they can choose a different activity}. I have my spelling words posted on the board and they just practice away! I have a menu they can glance at too:

Click {here} to download

Is word work working for you?


P.S. I'll be posting another font/clipart post SOON. Check back for that. And you know what I realized? My "Ode to Kevin and Amanda Fonts" didn't show up on some computers {I actually used the fonts in my poem}...so go back and read it by clicking {here}.

Fonts by Kevin and Amanda at www.kevinandamanda.com

Fonts by Miss Tiina at www.misstiina.com

Fonts by DJ Inkers at www.djinkers.com