Double letter accuracy, Human Connect Four

From FreeReading

Activity Type: Build Accuracy

Activity Form: Game

Grade: K, 1

Group Size: Large Group

Length: 10 minutes

Materials: double letter word cards from Advanced phonics word cards

Goal: Given a sound, the student can identify words that contain the double letter that makes that sound (/l/-> "fill").

Items: All double letter words learned so far

What to do

1. You will need a large space for this game.
2. Divide students into two teams and provide each group with sixteen double letter word cards.
3. Today, we are going to play Human Connect Four. Your group will work as a team. Raise your hand if you know how to play Connect Four. Good. Call on a student to explain the rules of the game.
4. When you get your cards, arrange them on the floor in four rows of four. You may need to draw a picture on the board of a Connect Four board.
5. I am going to say a sound. One person from your group will need to stand on a card that has that sound as its double letter sound. For example, if I say the sound /l/, you could stand on the words fill, pull, or doll.
6. Remember, only one person can stand on one card, so if you have more than one card with that sound, you will have to choose one. You can work as a team to decide which card to stand on.
7. The goal is to get a line of four people. Your line can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. You may want to use the picture that you drew on the board to show the different ways to get four in a row.
8. We are going to keep going until one team gets a line of four people.
9. If you are playing in groups of four or five students, instruct students that they will need to turn over cards in later rounds (once each player is already standing on the board). When a sound is called, students can turn over the card they choose so that it is face down as a way of marking it.
10. When your team has a line of four, each person standing on the four cards will need to correctly read their word. If they can do so, your team wins!
11. Does anyone have any questions? Answer questions, clarifying the activity.
12. For students who struggle, offer help and make a note in an Activity Log.

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• All Advanced Phonics Activities