Want to know the best sight word game to practice sight words in guided reading? It’s definitely my favorite guided reading warm-up ever and if you’ve been reading my blog posts for awhile, then you’ve heard all about Pop The Balloon! and how I use it to start guided reading and guided math groups.
Teaching sight words has always been difficult for me, but it is important. It isn’t guaranteed our students are practicing their sight words at home, so we must practice them in our classroom. One way to do that is as a guided reading warm-up.
You can give each student a Pop The Balloon! card. They read the words on their card from bottom to top and say POP when they are finished. There’s more way to use these cards though. Here are different ways to use these cards in addition to the original way.
1. Spell the words
After students read the words on their cards, they spell the words. You can use whatever types of letters you use for students to spell- magnetic, tile, etc. Then after they spell the words, they have to read them again.
2. Write a sight word in a sentence
Writing the words in context is a powerful tool because it helps students see it and how they use it in every day life. Have your students pick a sight word from the card and write it in a sentence on a whiteboard. I say use it on a whiteboard because kids love whiteboards. It’s so much better than writing it with a pencil on a paper.
3. Say It, Find It
When working one-on-one with a student, say a sight word on their card. Then, they have to find it. To add some more fun to it, give them some Target mini erasers and have them place the eraser on the word.
There you have it! Easy, yet effective, ways to incorporate sight word practice into the first five minutes of your guided reading warm-up!
Grab The Game Here
If you’re interested in this sight word game, click here.
Want A Sight Word Freebie?
Check out this post to grab the sight word practice menu to try some more sight word ideas!