I have always struggled with spelling, and how to engage students in meaningful activities to practice their spelling words! I have tried just about everything under the sun, from rotating through teacher-selected word work centers, to a free choice spelling menu where students try to complete different activities throughout the week. Nothing seemed to work!
The Problems With My Old Word Work Routines:
When my students went to my teacher-selected centers, they were just going through the motions. They lacked excitement, and therefore engagement with the work. When they weren’t engaged, the amount of learning decreased and their progress slowed.
Then, when I had students selecting from a menu that provided a wide range of activities, I found myself with a completely different set of problems. While the element of choice encouraged my students to actively engaged in their work, I knew that some of the activities that I provided on the menu would be more beneficial for my students than others.
How could I strike a balance between including choice AND ensuring that my students were selecting activities that would be the most beneficial? Let me introduce this year’s Word Work Menu:
How This Spelling Menu Works:
This menu is set up like a real menu that our students would find in a restaurant. There are 3 courses: appetizer, entree, and dessert. Every word work period, students complete one activity from each round and are encouraged to select a variety of activities throughout the week.
I Love This New Spelling Menu for a Few Reasons:
- It allows me to prioritize the word work activities that I need them to complete by making those the appetizers (e.g. I am required to have my students complete certain word work activities each week, and now I can guarantee that those will be completed).
- Students are motivated to complete their work so they can get to their favorites in the dessert course.
- There is still lots of choice to keep them engaged!
Want to try it? You can grab it FREE below, as well as an EDITABLE version so you can include your own activities. YAY!
Word Work Menus
Get Word Work Menus that actually WORK! Providing strategic choice will empower your students, while ensuring they’re practicing essential skills!
Keep Your Little Stars Shining!
I can’t wait to try this! Thank you for generously sharing.
I am excited to try this with my students.
Thank you!
I can’t wait to get this and implement it into my daily routine. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing..
3-25-2020
Thank you for sharing. Remote learning has created a few challenges and this will definitely help!
Thank you! Just what I was looking for!
Thanks for sharing this freebie. I am looking forward to my students using their time in working with words in a meaningful way with this activity!
I have been trying to get this free resource for a week, and when I click on the Get Me Now button, nothing happens. Would you be able to help me out? Thank you in advance
Hi Gretchen! I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Would you please email me? [email protected]. I’m more than happy to help.
I’m loving your posts and all your great creative ideas. Thank you so much for graciously sharing them with us all.
Such great ideas for my kiddos to work independently. Thank you for your generosity.