PAT Bank

Word Family Racing (3rd grade and up)

Author:

Azriela Jankovic
Yavneh Academy, California

Subject:

Spelling, Vocabulary

Objective:

Practice writing, spelling, and vocabulary words while having fun!

Materials and Preparation:

Each group receives a large sheet of paper (butcher paper works great and large lined paper works even better).
Each member of the team has a pencil, a highlighter, and an open space to write on large paper.

Student Grouping:

Varied groups of 3 to 5 students.

The Play:

When the teacher calls time, each team has 5 minutes (can vary amount of time depending on attention spans / grade levels) to do the following:

• Find words on the spelling or vocab list with something in common.
• Words can be put in categories according to common prefixes, suffixes, or roots.
• Words that belong to the group are written in pencil.
• Each group member must take a turn writing a set of words before another person gets a turn.
• Students label each group, for example:
  Words beginning with SQUI: (*this title written and highlighted)
  squid (*squi must be highlighted in each word)
  squirrel
  squint
• Groups continue until time is over.

Scoring:

• Each group of words receives 5 points just for being discovered and written down.
• Students count up words in each group and add 1 point for each word spelled CORRECTLY.

Further Play:

After alotted time to make word groups from a given list of words, allow students 5 minutes to add onto their groupings with words that they might find in the dictionary or elsewhere. Each additional word counts for 1 point each.

Comments or Variations:

This game can be varied using vocabulary words. Students can race to find as many synonyms as possible.
List of words might contain: went
Students list synonyms: journeyed, ventured, walked, drove, traipsed, etc.