
Managing word work centers can be challenging for first grade teachers, especially when trying to keep students engaged while running small group reading lessons. That’s why I created my Yearlong 1st Grade Word Work Centers bundle—a comprehensive, low-prep solution that will keep your students engaged in meaningful, independent literacy practice all year long. When creating these, I wanted to make sure each month had the same routine and the only things that changed were the words and themes.
It is so frustrating to sit down to teach a small group lesson with your students and be interrupted because students are unsure what to do. I realized that once I used word work centers that did not completely change every week or month, students could do them more independently. When a new month came and the activities changed, students still knew what to do, but they were fresh, exciting, and somewhat different.
I also knew I wanted to incorporate writing and tactile work because students can remember words more when they are physically doing something with them. The months build on one another and include phonics skills such as short vowels, long vowels, blends, digraphs, vowel teams, heart words (high frequency words), and more.
Why Word Work Centers Matter

Word work centers are an essential component of any successful literacy block. These centers give students time to practice phonics, build sight word recognition, and strengthen spelling skills in a hands-on way. Beyond skill-building, word-work centers also foster independence and confidence in young readers. With these centers, students work on building words, while also getting the independent practice to do so.
Teachers often struggle with setting up centers that run smoothly and consistently. Many centers require too much prep or explanation, leading to interruptions during small groups. That’s why I designed these centers to be consistent, predictable, and easy for students to understand—after the first month, your students will know exactly what to do each time they visit the word work center. Each month is themed to match the month, which makes word work fun and engaging.
What’s Included in the Yearlong Word Work Bundle
The bundle includes eight engaging word work activities for every month of the school year. Each activity is designed to build on students’ phonics and word-building skills in a fun and interactive way. The different activities include word lists; however, you can use your own weekly words, word wall words, or word study lists as well. Here’s a breakdown of the different word work choices:
1. Poetry

Students will build fluency by practicing sight words and phonics patterns through poems. They can highlight or circle the words with the specific phonics skill. Then, they write the words on the word sort, sorting the words according to phonics skill or word family. Students can reread the poem or the words to build fluency in their reading. They also can then build the words with magnet letters, wikki stix, etc.
2. Hopscotch Cards

Students read the word list by “hopping” with their counter (or Target mini eraser, snap cube, etc.). The list of words follows a phonics pattern. For example, one card may have all -an words. This is a great way to gain fluency in reading words with specific phonics skills. These are very similar to word ladders. These word lists give students extra practice in reading words of the word family or phonics skill that you are working on that week. Just like with the poetry, students can then work on building the words with magnets, wikki stix, etc.
The first few months have an activity called “Word Roll” instead of the Hopscotch cards. Students pick a Word Roll card and roll a die. They read the word that they land on and repeat! This is a fun way to incorporate something kids enjoy (rolling dice) to reading words.
3. Build It!

Students use sight words or spelling words. On the sheet, they spell the word with the cards given. Then, they write the word underneath. This activity is specifically themed for the month. My favorite one is the plain cookie with the chocolate chip letters.
4. Match It!

Students match word cards to corresponding pictures to create a larger picture. They also sort them by phonics rule. These get a little more complex as the school year goes on and students learn more phonics rules. My favorite one is the umbrella with raindrops from the April Word Work Center.
5. Picture It!

Students write from a word list to fill in the picture. In my classroom, I used colorful flair pens, but you could use different types of pens or colored pencils. Students write the word repeatedly in one part of the picture so they can “fill it in” with the words. This is a fun way to practice different spelling patterns. The repetitive writing is also good spelling practice. This was a fan favorite in the word work center, probably because students love using the fancy pens!
6. Silly Story

Students choose a story page. On the side of the page, there is a word list that follows different phonics patterns. Students choose four of the words and then make up a silly story using the four words. They draw a picture to match. Students really enjoyed this one too because how often do they get to write silly stories? In addition to writing the words with the phonics pattern, they also had to highlight the words in the story.
7. Picture Spelling

Students spell words using picture clues. They are filling in the vowel pattern using magnetic letters. This is great to pair with a cookie sheet and magnetic letters. There are various cards for students to pick from to spell.
8. Spin It

With Spin It, students spin the spinner. Each spinner has phonics patterns to spin. For example, if the month’s theme is blends then it will have blends on it. They then fill in the blank letter spaces in the part of the word. If the word is a real word, they write it under “real word” on the word sort. If it is a nonsense word or made up word, they write the word under “nonsense word” on the word sort.
Why Teachers Love These Centers

One of the best parts of this bundle is the routine and consistency it brings to your classroom. Once your students learn how to complete each activity, they can use them all year without needing additional explanations. This makes your word work centers predictable, efficient, and engaging.
Here’s What Teachers Are Saying:
Lucinda W. says:
“Love when I can use a material in centers across grade levels for reinforcement review or enrichment.”
Ava Classroom says:
“MY CLASS ABSOLUTELY LOOOVES these centers!! I always have a ‘Special center’ rotation, and they cannot WAIT to use any of these resources. I love how easy it is to make, and there are step-by-step instructions to use in the class. ABSOLUTELY favorite purchase for in-class centers!”
Jenna Ryan says:
“This resource is a bit of prep on the front end, but it is SO worth it! My students are engaged, the skills are appropriate for independent word work, and I am able to keep everyone working while running guided reading. The phonics aspect is amazing and more practice than I could ever provide in an explicit teaching model. I use LOTS of Alisha’s products, but this is by far my favorite purchase yet :)”
How These Centers Build Independence

One of the main goals of word work centers is to foster independence. When students know what to do and have the freedom to choose their activity, they stay on task and engaged. This independence allows you to focus on your small group instruction without constant interruptions.
Each center comes with a direction card and visual instructions, which you can display on a bulletin board. By making the directions accessible, students can quickly reference them if they forget what to do, reducing the number of “Teacher! Teacher! What do I do?” moments.
The Impact on Phonics and Sight Word Mastery

These centers are designed to support phonics instruction, which is critical for first grade students. By practicing phonics skills and sight words through hands-on, engaging activities, students build a solid foundation for reading. Each month builds on the previous one, ensuring that students continue to grow their skills throughout the year.
For example:
- August and September (Back to School) word work centers focus on CVC words, sight words, and beginning, middle, and ending sounds.
- October word work center includes CVCe words and word families, sight words, and beginning, middle, & ending sounds.
- November word work centers include sight words, CVCe words, blends, r-vowels, and digraphs.
- December word work centers include sight words, digraphs, r-blends, and short vowel families.
- January word work centers include sight words, r-vowels, digraphs, double consonants, vowel teams, long vowels.
- February word work centers include sight words, -ng, -nk, hard c&g, soft c&g, l-blends, digraphs, r-vowels, double consonants, vowel teams, trigraphs.
- March word work centers include sight words, ending blends, -ng, -nk, l-blends, digraphs, r-vowels, vowel teams, trigraphs.
- April word work centers include digraphs, long vowels, short vowels, vowel teams, and sight words.
- May and June (End Of Year) word work centers focus on digraphs, long vowels, short vowels, vowel teams, blends, and sight words.
Easy to Prep, Easy to Use

While there is some initial prep involved in setting up these centers, the long-term benefits far outweigh the time investment. Once prepped, these activities can be used again and again, making your literacy block more effective and less stressful.
Tips for Setting Up Your Word Work Centers:
- Laminate the direction cards and activity sheets for durability.
- Use a bulletin board to display directions and examples.
- Store each month’s materials in a labeled bin or folder for easy access.
- Introduce one activity at a time, practicing as a class before students use them independently.
Use Our Word Work Centers In Your Classroom
If you’re looking for a way to streamline your literacy centers and enhance your word work time while ensuring your students get meaningful practice in phonics and sight words, check out our first grade word work activities. These centers are engaging, easy to implement, and will make a significant impact on your students’ reading growth.
Ready to simplify your word work centers and watch your students thrive? Check out the Yearlong 1st Grade Word Work Centers bundle and see the difference it can make in your classroom!
Click here to purchase on TPT.
Click here to purchase on Missing Tooth Grins.
BONUS: Pair these with our writing centers and have your literacy centers ready to go for the entire school year!
Writing Centers and Word Work Centers Bundle
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