Everyone loves sight word activities that they can edit so they can use their own individual lists, right?   I mean, my list and your list may not be the same.  And the same goes for students . . . Suzy and Bobby may be on totally different lists, so why would we expect them to be using activities with the same words?

But editing activities can also be a big ol’ pain.  Re-entering each word on every page of every activity in a packet is time-consuming and frustrating . . . and just not fun!  But not anymore .  . .

Now you can have a TON of differentiated sight word games and activities and all you have to do is enter your list and it automatically will populate all the activities.  I’m totally serious.  All you need to do is make sure that your have a free version of Adobe Reader.  It’s super simple.

 

 

It’s like a teacher dream come true!  And not only that, but this packet comes with three different themed sets included for April: Spring Chicks, Spring Rain, and Spring Frogs.   You  might be wondering . . . why do I need three themes of the same games and activities? Why,for easy differentiating, of course.  Remember Suzy and Bobby have different sight word lists but both of them want to be able to play the same kinds of games and you need an easy way to organize the different tiers.   You just enter a different word list for each set.  Or, because this packet also includes a black and white version for any colored activity piece, you could simply make each tier  a different color paper.  (I kind of like to give you LOTS of opinions!  More is always better right?)

And to make things as independent as possible, each activity has a student visual instruction card as well.

Here’s just a little glimpse of the fourteen different activities included.  (Remember, each activity has three different themes so it’s really like having 42 activities if you think about it.)  You simply enter your word list and ta-dah . . . here’s your activities.

Sight Word Spin and Bump

Some of these activities include spinner games.  Of course, you can simply use a brad and a paperclip, pencil and paper clip or get yourself some transparent spinners like I have here.  I generally tape or hot glue my transparent spinners to the top of an old cd case so that cards can be easily changed out.  You can see more on that by visiting THIS post HERE.

Spin and Bump is played just like traditional ‘bump’ games.  Students spin the spinner, read the word and then locate the matching word on the playing mat.  If they read it correctly, they can place a snapcube on the spot.  The only way to secure and save your position on the mat is to place a second cube on a given square.  That saves you from being bumped.  Any square with only one cube can be bumped off if a player spins and reads that word.

ZAP!

Because there are three different versions of this game, the generic name is ZAP.  In actuality, it’s ‘cracked,’ ‘splash’ or ‘ribbet’ depending on which theme you are using.  All the cards are turned over so you can not see them.  Students take turns turning over and reading a card.  If it is read correctly, they get to keep it.  If not, it returns to the table.  The object is to secure as many cards as possible without getting ‘cracked, splash or ribbet.’  If you get one of those cards, all your cards return to the pile.

Sight Word Spin and Dot

You can use bingo dotters (my classroom favorite) or simply crayons or markers for this game.  It’s flexible enough to be played alone or with a partner.  Students spin the spinner, read the word and find a matching word on their playing sheet which they then dot.  If playing solo, simply play until your sheet is filled and all words have been dotted.  If playing with a partner, you can play with each player trying to fill their entire sheet first, or with only one sheet and two different colored dotters.  Each player then tries to get four in a row first using their color.  Having lots of choices means you can use this if your students work independently or in pairs and small groups.

Sight Word Hide ‘n Seek

My students will play this game all year-long and using a variety of skills and themes.  Here, students take turns with one student hiding the boots behind one of the umbrella cards.  While they do this, the other students in their group will hide their eyes and turn their bodies away as not to sneak a peek.  Then they take turns reading the card they believe the boots are hiding behind.  If they guess correctly, they can hide the boots next.

Sight Word I Spy

Now you can a sight word I -Spy with your very own word list.  Students use a magnifying glass to find the words hidden in the picture, they then read the word and write it in the space provided.  When their page is complete, they read their words to a friend and the friend signs the bottom.

Sight Word SWAT!

Everyone loves a good SWAT game.  I use either a fly swatter, bean bags or even sometimes their hands.  One person is the caller and calls out a word.  The first person to SWAT the correct card gets to keep it.

Spin and Color

My students never seemed to get enough opportunities to color.  They love it, so I wanted to be sure to include a color sheet in this packet as well.  Students will spin the spinner, read the word and find the spot on their coloring sheet to color.  If they play with a friend, they try to see who can get their picture completed first by taking turns spinning the spinner.  If they spin a word and there are no more spaces to color for that word, they simply lose their turn.

Spin and Win

This spinner game has students working in pairs or small groups.  They spin the spinner and read the word.  They can then move their game piece to the next space with that same word.  If they land on a space with an arrow to slide up or down, they must move in the indicated direction.  The first person to the end, wins.

Sight Word Seek and Find

Sensory tables are an endangered species in kindergarten.  You don’t need a table to give your students a bit of sensory fun though.  Just use a small bin and find some interesting and thematic fillers to engage them.  Here students search the sensory bin for sight word cards, read the card and record the word next to the corresponding number.  When they have completed their sheet, they read it to a friend and then hide the cards for the next players.

Sight Word Memory

Play it like traditional memory.  You will need to copies of playing cards.  Turn them over and take turns reading the cards and trying to secure matches.

Sight Words Write 3 Ways

For this activity you have two choices of either a ‘trace, stamp and write’ sheet or a ‘trace, rainbow write, and write’ sheet.  Students spin the spinner, read the word and then write the word on the sheet in the three ways that are indicated.

Sight Word Race

Because we strive for fluency, I like to add a bit of speed when it comes to practicing sight words.  Here students can either hop from card to card or sometimes I will place these cards on a table and have students use small stuffed animals to hop from card to card.  Using the recording sheet provided and a timer, students will keep track of how quickly they can ‘race’ through the cards.  I always remind them that their goal is not to go faster than someone else, but to improve their own time with each attempt.  It’s also a great way to allow your kids to MOVE!!!

 

Spin, Write and Graph

Students will spin the spinner, read the word and record the word on the graph.  My students like to color in the word boxes of the word they fill first.

Sight Word Hold Onto Your Cards Game

Place your sight word cards along with some ‘special’ playing cards in a bucket (I sometimes use one of sensory tubs for this game as well.), and have students take turns pulling out a card and reading the word on it.  If they read it correctly, they keep it.  If they do not read it correctly, it goes back in.  They need to watch out for special playing cards included that will give them opportunities for losing cards and earning extra turns.

I’m so excited to share these with you and hope you love them as much as I do.  If you have any special requests or activities, please feel free to drop me a line.  I think you’ll be seeing more of these activities in the future and I want to make sure you like what you get.  If you’d like to see more about this packet, just click on the picture below.  And hey . . . before you even ask, this WILL become a monthly/seasonal/thematic packet.  Just click HERE to see all the options and themes available so far.