Whirl Your Word Wheelie

Whirl Your Word Wheelie lesson plan

Give hands-on early reading (or learning another language) a whirl! Create a wheelie, read a word, and uncover the hidden picture to build your vocabulary.

  • 1.

    <STRONG>Pick a letter</STRONG>. Here’s a great small group project—whole alphabets are waiting, so you can exchange wheelies! Choose a letter or character (this works in any language). List several words that begin with that letter using Crayola® Erasable Colored Pencils. Check spelling and erase to correct.

  • 2.

    <STRONG>Do a wheelie</STRONG>. Choose a shape that begins with your letter and has a part that moves. For example, the letter O could be an octopus with a leg. We drew an apple and stem for A. Draw your shape on a recycled file folder. Cut it out with Crayola Scissors. Ask an adult to help cut two holes in it: one on the outside, the other closer to the center (see the picture). Color your wheelie.

  • 3.

    <STRONG>Create a spinner</STRONG>. Draw a circle that is slightly smaller than the wheelie. Place the wheelie on top of the circle. Secure with a brass paper fastener. On the circle, write words in the inner spaces. Draw matching pictures on the outer spaces. Color code them if you like. Remove the paper fastener.

  • 4.

    <STRONG> Make a hider.</STRONG> From file folder scraps, draw and cut out the moveable piece. Make sure that it is big enough to cover the outer hole. Attach it with a paper fastener to the wheelie. Reattach the wheelie to the circle.

  • 5.

    <STRONG>Read!</STRONG> Cover the pictures. Whirl your wheelie! Read the word that shows. Uncover the picture to make sure that you read the word correctly.

Benefits

  • Students work in small groups to compose alphabetical sets of vocabulary words and matching pictures.
  • Students problem solve fabrication of their word wheel.
  • Students recognize and self-test words from their sets.

Adaptations

  • Trade wheelies with other groups to expand the possibilities and introduce an element of mystery.
  • Make similar wheels for other letters and other parts of speech, such as phonemes and digraphs. The same idea is great for spelling, vocab, and even math!
  • For a different challenge, cover the word. Spell the word shown in the picture.
  • Assessment: Students correctly spell and read all words on their wheelies.