Phonics Activities

Crossword Mayhem

Set Up:

Place a table at one end of the room.
Lay out the letter tiles on the table, face up so the letters are visible.
Place the remaining tables or large desks at the opposite end of the room (one table or desk for each group). Be sure the desks/tables are all equidistant from the letters.
Arrange students in groups of 2-4. Assign each group to a table or large desk.
Set a timer for two minutes.

Game Play:

Each group of students stands behind their assigned table.
The timer is set for two minutes.
Students are given a category (ie: things associated with school, words with short vowel sounds, words containing a blend or digraph, two syllable school subjects, animals found in the ocean, etc.).
On “GO”, the first student runs to the table with the letter tiles and grabs one letter. They bring the letter back to their group and the next student leaves to retrieve the next letter.
Students continue running back and forth grabbing one letter at a time in order to spell words in the category.
As the letters are collected, students create a crossword using the letters of the words.
Once the timer goes off, the teacher checks the words to ensure they each follow the category, are spelled correctly and are arranged in a crossword pattern.
Students earn one point for each letter that follows the rules above.

Directions For Play

Set Up:

Write the following words on popsicle sticks or index cards. (Notice the silent consonant has been removed.)
1. wr: _ _ite, _ _rong, _ _estle, _ _aps, _ _eath, _ _inkle, _ _rench, _ _eck
2. kn: _ _ife, _ _eel, _ _ead, _ _it, _ _ock, _ _ot, _ _ight, _ _uckle, _ _ob
3. sc: _ _issors, _ _ene, mu_ _le, _ _ent, _ _ience, cre_ _ent, de_ _end
4. rh: _ _ino, _ _yme, _ _ythm, _ _ombus, _ _inestone,
5. mb: li_ _, cru_ _s, la_ _, com_ _, thu_ _, cli_ _, plu_ _er, bo_ _, to_ _, nu_ _
6. gn: _ _at, _ _aw, si_ _, _ _ome, desi_ _, resi_ _, forei_ _, _ _arl
Set up the bowling pins (for added fun a set of glow in the dark pins cand be used) in a triangular shape in a spacious area of the room. (For middle school students, setting the pins further apart or slightly off center from one another will add more of a challenge to the game. Traditional set up may be a little too easy depending on the group of students in the class.)

Game Play:

Have one student select a popsicle stick/index card. The student reads the word and tells the teacher what silent consonant letters fill in the blanks.
If the student is correct, they get a chance to bowl. If they are incorrect they should select again or lose a turn. (If using one set of pins, students should only be given one ball to bowl. If using a double set, students can be given two tries per correct answer.)
Students earn one point for each pin knocked down. (Bonus points can be awarded at the teacher’s discretion if all pins are knocked over.)

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