5.4 Demonstrate research based instructional practices for developing students' phonological awareness
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To develop phonological awareness we play “Sparkle Spelling” every week using the grade level spelling words. Since this is fourth grade we bump up the expectations a little. Usually the way this game is played is that the students stand in a half circle around the room. The teacher says a word and then the students begin spelling the word one by one saying each letter. After they have finished spelling the word the next student says “SPARKLE” and the student next to him has to sit down. The last student standing wins.
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In our classroom we have tweaked it. When the teacher says the word the first student has to repeat the word then they start spelling it, when a student says the last letter the next student says the word again, then the next student says “SPARKLE” and the following student sits down. If any person misspells the word, forgets to say the word in the beginning or at the end of the spelling they sit down. A very important point in this game is that if a person makes a mistake a sits down the next person has to fix the mistake and go on. The last person get their own word and has to do the whole process, if they do it correctly they win but if they don’t the last person that sat down gets to get up and steal the win by sparkle spelling another word.
This is a game that the students absolutely love and look forward to each week. This activity helps them study their spelling words while also practicing to pay close attention because if they get distracted they won’t know what they have to say on their turn and then they would have to sit out until the next game. In the first weeks of school this game was not played, I believe that after starting to play this game weekly the students have improved on their spelling tests.
This is a game that the students absolutely love and look forward to each week. This activity helps them study their spelling words while also practicing to pay close attention because if they get distracted they won’t know what they have to say on their turn and then they would have to sit out until the next game. In the first weeks of school this game was not played, I believe that after starting to play this game weekly the students have improved on their spelling tests.