SIGHT WORD CLOUDS
Kindergarten (through all elementary grades with extensions)
by Amy Roman

INTRODUCTION

Lesson Topic: Sight and High Frequency Words

Estimated Lesson Length: Weekly Friday Challenge Activity (15-20 mins.)

VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING ADDRESSED

English Standards of Learning/Reading

K.5 Th student will understand how print is organized and read.

English Standards of Learning/Writing

K.11 The student will write to communicate ideas.
K.12 The student will explore the uses of available technology for reading and writing.

COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES

The student will be able to identify weekly sight words from a word cloud produced by the teacher and classmates.

The student will be able to recall sight words that they have seen in text that they have read.

The students will be able to recognize the sight words in isolation.

The students will be able to manipulate (turn) the handout to recognize (discover) words.

The student will be able to write the sight words that they identify on the handout provided.

MATERIALS/TECHNOLOGY AND ADVANCED PREPARATION

Smart Board or white board for projection (optional)
Computer with internet capability (optional)
Pointing device for projection
Word Cloud handout (place for name, word cloud, place for sight word list, place for bonus sight word)
Pencils (for students)
Shoe box with as many sight words on cards as students in the class.

TEACHING AND LEARNING SEQUENCE

Introduction/Anticipatory Set

This lesson will be done over the course of 12-25 (depending on number of students in the class) weeks as a challenge at the end of each week for those students who are on this reading and writing level.

Start with a teacher-made word cloud of five word that the students are all very familiar with.

The teacher will work with the students on the first two word clouds.

The teacher will stand next to the projection, and call one student at a time to say a word that they see in the word cloud. When the word is said, the teacher will point to it with a pointing device, and then write the word next to the projection on the white board.

The teacher will explain and model (with an actual handout) that “If I turn this paper in different directions I can discover more words…watch…”. If possible, the teacher should also
manipulate the word cloud to turn on the actual projection as well. But it is more important that the students see the actual handout being turned.

The students will be told to take out their pencil, and the teacher will distribute the handouts.

The students will be told to write the words on their handout in the appropriate place.

All of these steps will be done for the first two Fridays (or whatever day decided).

Use the same words for the second word cloud with a different cloud formation.

Lesson Development

On the third word cloud, the students will still work with the same five words with the same cloud formation as the second week.

The word cloud will be projected on the Smart Board or white board.

The students will be asked to identify the sight words themselves and write them in the appropriate place on their handout. They can use the projection or the word cloud on their paper.

When the students are done, the teacher will collect the papers for assessment.

One student each week (in alphabetic order) will be called up to pick a sight word from the shoe box. This word will be added to next weeks cloud.

Each week will use the same words with the one new student-picked sight word, making the cloud bigger each week.

The teacher should use his/her discretion as to when it is appropriate to change the cloud formation.

There is an optional bonus if the students are able to identify the new word each week and place it on the appropriate bonus line.

Closure:

After all of the students have added their words (as many weeks as there are students), the students will be asked to contribute to the final product, by voting on the cloud formation.

The teacher will show them many choices through the internet.

The final product will be displayed at the end of the year.

Optional things can be made from this cloud: teeshirts, water bottles, pins, puzzles etc.

HOMEWORK

None.

ASSESSMENT

Formative:

During the first two lessons the students will be encouraged to raise their hands if and when they see a word.

During the first two lessons the teacher should try to pick students who have not been called on before. A record of this should be kept near the computer.

Student who are not raising their hands should be encouraged to participate, and possibly assisted in finding the words.

If the students are participating and excited in the first two weeks during the lesson, they will be given a check in language arts for that lesson.

When the students are working on their handouts individually, the teacher should walk around and assist the students who need help.

Summative:

The students will be assessed on how many words they are correctly able to identify on their handout.

The words that are written are expected to be copied with correct spelling.

Full credit will be given for words spelled correctly (even if letters are backward).

Any words that are written incorrectly or missed will be expected to be written again and/or found.

The teacher should assist with the students who are having trouble.

Each student should be held only accountable to their individual reading and writing level.

REFERENCES (SITE TO MAKE WORD CLOUDS):

www.wordle.com

FUN EXTENSIONS!:

As grades progress, the words will get more difficult and word clouds used can become more complex (adding more words and letters to decipher and distinguish).  Student can also become more involved in making word clouds and games as well.

SUPER-SIZED!:

The teacher puts a word on piece of paper (word should cover entire paper), and lays them on the floor in different places and in different directions. (Laminate the paper for protection and future use.)

The teacher calls on different students to stand on a particular word in the direction that the words should be read, and the student reads his/her word out loud.

(Putting the students “in” the actual word cloud.)

TWISTER:

Similar to “Super-Sized!”, the teacher will make the full-size, laminated word sheets and this time color-code them.

The teacher calls on different students to stand on, put a left hand on, or right foot on a particular color word.

COPY-CAT:

The teacher will project a word cloud on the board.

The students will be asked to either copy what the see:

individually on a handout (written)

work in small groups with 1/4 sized-paper words (manipulating like a puzzle) at their group table

in larger groups with the full-size (preferably laminated) word sheets on the floor.

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS! HAVE FUN! I LOVE THESE WORD CLOUDS!