The Best Activity for Increasing Word Knowledge

Any time we can make learning playful, kids are more likely to be engaged and focused. With this engagement and focus comes deeper learning. I first learned about Making Words from my undergraduate professor (and well-known literacy expert) Pat Cunningham.

Making Words is a manipulative, multilevel activity. As children make and sort words, they increase their word knowledge, discover patterns, and become better readers and writers (Cunningham & Hall, 1997).

As a classroom teacher, we did the Making Words activity often. As my students learned more about letter/sound relationships and spelling patterns we were able to do even harder words. My students always loved Making Words and I think your child will too! 

Basics of Making Words

Making Words is an activity where your child (or children) use letters to make words, beginning with two-letter words and continuing with three-, four-, and bigger words until the final word is made. The final word always includes all the letters given for the activity. Once your child has done this activity a few times, they may automatically try to figure out the final word (or “mystery word”) as soon as they get their letters.

It is helpful to have sticky notes or index cards with the selected words printed on them. Once your child makes each word, you can share the index card or sticky note with the word printed on it so they can remember each word they make during the activity.  

Once the “mystery word” is made, your child can sort all of the words they made by noticing patterns in the words. For example, your child might sort by beginning letters or they might sort by ending sound.  

The words your child makes can then be used to read and spell rhyming words. For example, once they can spell bat, they can spell mat, rat, sat, pat.

 Benefits of Making Words

Your child will discover letter-sound relationships and learn how to look for patterns in words as they make and sort words. They also learn that changing just one letter or the order of letters changes the whole word (Cunningham & Cunningham, 1992).

For the first few lessons, we recommend using five-letter words that contain one vowel. Some examples: claps, stand, hints, split, frogs

If possible, it is recommended that the vowel letter be written in red or a different color than the consonants. However, if you choose to do this activity with magnetic letters or bath letters, that may not be possible. Let your child know that they will have to use the vowel for every word.

In the beginning, emphasize the letter names and sounds and try to only make words in which you can hear all the letters when you stretch them out.

Children who lack phonemic awareness develop that awareness as they listen for the sounds in words in order to make the words and sort for patterns. Children who have phonemic awareness learn how letters and sounds correspond, as well as, spelling patterns. Through sorting and using the words to spell other words, your child will learn how they can use words they know to read and spell other words.

How to Start

1)   Choose a word that will be the mystery word.

2)   Pull out letter cards, bath letters, or magnetic letters for the word.

3)   Brainstorm lots of little words that can be made from the word.

a.    Example: WORD: crowds

b.    LITTLE WORDS: do, so, sod, cod, rod, row, cow, cows,….

4)   If sorting, write the words on index cards. 

5)   Write the words down in the order you will give them to your child. If you want to keep these for future use. You can write the list of words on the outside of an envelope and place the materials inside.

6)   If sorting, write down how you ask your child to sort.

7)   Write down the words you will ask your child to spell based on the words you gave them to make.

Now you are ready to begin Making Words

1)   Give your child the letters.

2)   When you first give your child the letters, they can begin moving the letters around and making whatever words they can. They may even start thinking about what word can be made with all the letters.

3)   Encourage your child to spread out the letters and see what they notice.

4)   Give the clue for the first word.

5)   Encourage your child to make the word with the letters.

6)   When your child correctly makes the word, affirm their correct spelling and show them the index card with the word written on it (if using).

7)   Continue this process with other words.

8)   Tell your child that every Making Words lesson ends with a mystery word. Ask your child to move the letters to see if they can figure it out.

9)   Ask your child to read the words on the index cards.

10)         Ask your child to sort the words by a specific attribute or feature.

a.    For example, you could ask your child to find all of the words that start with the letter m

11)         Sort the words in several ways:

a.    consonants

b.    prefixes

c.    suffixes

d.    endings

e.    blends

f.     diagraphs

g.    rhymes

h.    chunks

i.      phonograms

j.     homophones

12)         Tell your child that when they are reading, they will see many words that have similarities to the words you just sorted. Let them know that they can think about how these words are spelled to read or spell new words. For example, if you can spell hat you can spell mat or pat or sat or rat.

Once your child begins making the words you’ve selected, the activity is fast-paced and keeps your child actively involved.  

You can also see an example here.

Please leave a comment below to let me know how your Making Words activities go and let me know if you are interested in more Making Words plans (as shown above).