Compound word fluency

Activity Type: Build Fluency

Activity Form: Standard

Grade: 1, 2

Group Size: Small Group, Whole Class

Length: 5 minutes

Materials: Compound word index cards (print them here)

Goal: Given a written compound word, the student can say the word with automaticity ( bedbug -> "bedbug" ).

Items: bedbug, sandbox, classroom, football, railroad, spaceship, toothbrush

What to do

Assemble a stack of around 12 index cards with compound words printed on them. (Once students are comfortable with compound words, you can include in the pack some words the students already know.)
Now let's play a game. We're going to try to go through this stack of cards as fast as we can, saying the word on each card. Let's see how fast we can go. Remember, sometimes a word is made up of two shorter words, so you have to read those two words and put them together. My turn first.
Next, model taking the top card off the stack, showing it to the students, and saying the word after a pause. Continue through the stack.
Do you think you can go faster than I did? Call on a single student in the group, starting with a student you think may be slower. Show the first card: What's the word? If the student struggles, have him identify each part of the word by covering up the other part, then have him put them together. Do the same for the next few cards, and then see if he can read both parts of the word without your covering up the other part. Praise him when he gets it.
Select the next quicker student, and repeat until all students in the group have worked through the stack.
Okay, now let's go faster. Shuffle the stack of cards and repeat with students in the same order, but encouraging them to go faster.
If time and focus allow, shuffle and repeat at an even faster pace.
For students who continue to struggle, give them help and make a note in an Activity Log.