Race for Spelling Patterns!

If you’re having difficulty motivating your third grader to crack open a book and improve her reading fluency, turn it into a “race” and watch what happens. Instantly, your child's competitive streak kicks in and she’s up for the task!

In this high energy, interactive game, third graders are challenged to a different kind of race-- one that doesn't require any running at all. Instead, it involves spelling patterns in words. This is one race she will want to run again and again!

What You Need:

Paper

Pencils

A kitchen timer, or a stopwatch with an alarm

List of phonograms (see below)

What To Do:
 

1. Cut the paper into cards and write one phonogram on each card.
   Here's a list of common phonograms to get you started:
   -ack, -eat, -ice, -ock, -uck, -an, -ell
   -ick, -oke, -ug, -ap, -est, -ide, -op
   -ump, -ash, -ill, -or, -unk, -at, -in
   -ore, -ate, -ine, -ain, -ing, -ail, -ink
   -ake, -ip, -ale, -ir, -ame, -ay, -ank 
   
2. Gather a few family members or friends to join in. Explain to players that this game will use phonograms, or spelling patterns within words. Phonograms are combinations of letters that make a sound. For example, “-ip” is a phonogram that helps to spell words like sip, dip and clip. 
3. Give each player some paper and a pencil. Set a timer for one minute and hold up the first phonogram card. Each player has one minute to brainstorm as many words as she can think of that end in the phonogram, and write them on her paper before the timer rings. Let's say the first phonogram is "ack." Each player would list words like "shack", "lack", "pack", or "tack" until the timer goes off. If players are having difficulty, offer a hint to get them going, such as "Think of words that rhyme with 'back'."
4. After one minute, yell "Stop!" Everyone should put their pencils down. Now it's time to compare lists. Player 1 reads his list and if another player has the same word, ALL players cross that word off their lists. After Player 1 reads his list, Player 2 should read only the words left on her list. Once again, repeated words are crossed off by all players.
   
5. Once players finish reading their lists, everyone counts up the number of words they have left. The player with the most words remaining is the winner!

What's going on?  You're helping your child move from the letter-by-letter "sound it out" approach of early reading into the next level: reading to understand whole thoughts.  Phonograms are a way to figure out new words quickly, based on familiar patterns.  And with this game, they're also a way to engage the whole family in fun with language!