Word Play is Crucial to Understanding

I believe that students must play with words. I believe 5th graders still need to play with words.  Play in our word study class looks like this on any given day or time.


*searching for words in magazines, newspapers and to go menus and bringing in those words to share with the class
*searching for words in their JR (just right) book and tabbing them
*building word jars
*sorting words (picture to the left)
*transfer the focus words to their writer's notebook
*writing STRONG comments @wonderopolis 
*sharing words with the class from newspaper articles (especially OSU
      sports articles)
*noticing words in the poems we share on Poetry Friday
*writing poetry with their new words
*word observations
*sentence observations
*connecting Wonder Wednesday with dinner conversations
*building word walls with my students
Connecting word study with science and social studies. 

The best part of playing with words is when the students make the transfer to their writing and the words become their own!