As you may know, I was “promoted” to third grade this year. Because of that, I’m not using Words Their Way anymore (GASP – shocker, I know!).
My students have a new spelling list each week, and after a few weeks, I realized I HAD to do something to make spelling practice more engaging for them.
I decided to shop with Oriental Trading because they offer a TON of fun alphabet things! I was impressed with the selection and was excited that I could purchase everything in one place.
First, I looked for some letter tiles. I had some plastic tiles that my students loved using at the beginning of the year, but I confiscated them because they made so much noise while other students were trying to read or write. These tiles are colorful and QUIET! They are just thin pieces of cardboard, but I think they’ll last a while if my students treat them correctly. Plus, it came with so many pieces, I put many pages aside in storage to pull out later if I need to.
Find the letter tiles here ($6.99 for 2000 letters).
I saw the dough cutters and knew my third graders would go crazy for this spelling bin! I already had plenty of PlayDough in my classroom, so prepping this bin was simple for me and has already proven to be so engaging. I think the rollers are unnecessary but add an extra touch of fun.
Find the alphabet dough cutters here ($5.97 per set) and the rollers here.
These stampers are already a hit! They are quick, colorful, and – here comes that E word again – engaging. The stamps were a little more expensive, but the reviews are good and I’m hoping they’ll last me for at least a few years. Also, I figured we could use these stamps for things other than spelling…
Find the stamps here ($9.49 per set).
Stencils are simple, yet I hardly ever see them anymore, so I thought stenciling would be something new for my students to try. The set comes will all sorts of colors and fonts, but each durable page contains every letter, so students only need one page. Simple! The only downside is that the stencils do not fit into my pretty spelling bins!
Find the stencils here ($16.99 for 12).
I pulled out some of my STEM materials for the additional bins. One has popsicle sticks, and the other has pipe cleaners. Although these materials may not be as engaging, they are a little more challenging and work on those motor skills!
I store my word work supplies (along with all of my other Daily 5 materials) in some sort of shelf that is probably older than I am, so I had a hard time finding bins that would fit inside it. After lots of searching, I found these Iris bins on Amazon. I have a couple of other supplies made by Iris, and I love how high-quality they are. I hope these will last me for years!
Obviously I bought the blue ones to match my room… aren’t they pretty?!
Grab an 8-pack of the bins here. (Watch the price, though, as it will fluctuate… I snagged the set for $31.68!)
Please let me know if you do any shopping or add any of these ideas to your spelling routine! Additionally, I’d love to know if you have any other simple, engaging activities that I could add to my routine.
Let me know in a comment below!
DISCLAIMER: Oriental Trading sent these items to me at no cost in exchange for an honest review. THANK YOU, Learn 365!
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