Learning Intentions:
- To learn and practise recognising and spelling high frequency and some tricky words.
Step 1: Activity overview for parent, carers and pupils
This activity will support your child in developing their sight vocabulary that supports reading and spelling. Tricky words are those words which cannot be sounded out easily. They are common words which have more complex spellings in them. Learning these words by sight and memory are critical to children’s reading skills. These activities are some ways to help develop your child’s recognition, understanding and memory of tricky words in a fun and active way.
There is a short introductory video which is about two minutes long. There are also some high frequency word song videos which you can dip into. Each one is about two and a half minutes long.
The main activities can be competed offline. There are a variety of word games to choose from and are designed to be used regularly to support your child’s learning.
Step 2: Introduction to the activity and additional information
The red word list below has some of the common words that children need to learn to spell. As a starting point using the word list find out which words your child already knows.
Choose between four and six words that your child doesn’t recognise easily to use in the activities.
Once they become familiar with these words choose another four to six words and repeat the activities with these words.
Optional – Here are some songs linked to high frequency and tricky words you can choose which one(s) you might like to watch. They are all about two and a half minutes long.
Phase 2 word below looks at – I, the, to, no, go, she, we
Phase 3 word below looks at – me, be, was, you, my, all, are, they
Phase 4 word below look at – said, have, like, come, some, what, when
Step 3: Tasks to carry out for this activity
Activity 1
Choose from the list of games below to help your child become familiar with high frequency and tricky words.
Your child will benefit from using these games regularly over a period of time in shorts bursts.
Once your child is confident with the four to six words you have chosen, then you can select some more words for them to play these games with.
Let’s have fun and play some word games.
Word snap
Have fun creating your own set of word cards which allow you to focus on the words that you have chosen for your child. Create two sets and have your own game of tricky word snap.
- Cut an A4 sheet of paper into six pieces
- write one of each of your chosen word on each piece of paper.
- You will need two sets of the same words.
Now you are ready to play word snap.
Dice reading game – you will need a dice to play this game
- Write each of your chosen words onto a piece of paper. On the back of the paper draw dots from one to six.
- Place the words face down on the table with the dots showing.
- Have your child roll a dice and pick up the paper with the same number of spots on as the dice.
- Now ask you child to read the word on the paper.
- And repeat
Outside activity
Mud writing
Mix some mud with water together, get some paper, a twig or you can use your finger, see how many of your chosen words you can write.
Hopscotch
Create a hopscotch with your chosen words and off you go. Travel up and down the hopscotch in different ways, reading the words. This can also be adapted to focus on sounds, number, shape etc.
Word Wash.
You will need a brush, chalk and water. Chalk some of your chosen words on the floor outside, your child can help too. Then call out different words (children love it when you use different voices) which your child must find and wash away using the brush and water. Take turns and let your child be the teacher and ask you.
Once you have completed the task you can email anything you create (photos, documents, screenshots etc.) directly to your teacher or directly upload it to any of the available places in Step 5.
Step 4: Look over the success criteria for this activity:
Success criteria #1: I can read some high frequency words.
Success criteria #2: I can spell some high frequency words.
Look at the learning intentions ‘how well do you think you have done?’
Step 5: Extension and follow on activities/challenges (optional)
Activity 2 – Word detective
Share a favourite story together.
Then ask your child to look through the story book and see if they can find any of the words you have chosen from the red list.
Step 6: Upload your work
Click on the relevant link below if you have any work to upload to your online areas