Construct-A-Word!

 

Beatris Flores, Suzanne Spezzano, Madison Brazile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definition–

 

What is Construct-A-Word?  It is an interactive webpage created by the International Reading Association. It allows students to pick an ending sound and then gives them all of the possible word beginning sounds for that ending sound. It mixes in beginning sounds that would not make a word with the ending sound.  When students combine a beginning and ending sound that makes a word, a green light flashes, and the word is whisked away into the word bank. When two wrong sounds are placed together, a red light flashes, and the beginning sound is placed back where it was. The word bank saves all the words a student creates.  You can see in the link for the word bank in the picture above in the bottom left corner.  The word construction guy lets you know how many more words there are to find as students play the game.

 

Tutorial –

 

So how do you access/use this page? Follow these steps:

1)      Have students get online and go to the following URL to access the Construct-A-Word webpage: http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/construct/  

2)      Have students enter a pseudo name on the Construct-A-Word webpage to make sure their personal information is kept safe, and then have them click the “Begin” button.

3)      Have students select an ending sound they wish to work with.

4)      All of the possible beginning sounds appear automatically after the ending sound is chosen.  Allow students to work on their own, picking the beginning sounds they want to use with the ending sound they chose.

5)      If students with to pick a different ending sound before they have made all the words they can with their first ending sound, have them click on the “Back” arrow button.  It is an arrow that is not labeled “Back,” but it turns from green to yellow when the cursor is over it.

6)      Once students have made all the words they want to, have select their word bank in the bottom left corner of the webpage.

7)      Have students print out their word bank, if desired, by clicking on the “Print” button in the bottom right corner of the webpage.

8)      When finished, have students click on the “Exit” button in the bottom right corner of the webpage.

 

Why/Who? –

 

Who would use such a website and to what purpose? Both special education teachers and general education teachers can use this tool to give students with special needs extra practice in rhyming, word recognition, spelling, and decoding.  Students who do not have special needs but are struggling nonetheless can also use this webpage for extra practice.  We feel this tool is best adapted in classrooms K-3 and possibly through grade 5 or 6 for children with special needs depending on the need.

 

Three Examples of Teaching Applications -

 

When students are first learning letter recognition and are moving into decoding for learning how to read, it is important that they develop strong word awareness, rhyming awareness, and phonemic awareness.  This activity addresses all three of these phonological aspects in learning how to read.  We would like to break these up to make it a little simpler:

 

1. By interacting with and creating the words, students are developing word awareness

2. By creating many words with the same ending sounds, students develop a strong sense of rhyming.

3. By matching, blending, and subsituting sounds, students are working on their phomenic awareness.  Students are matching, blending, and substituting sounds when they pick different beginning sounds to fit their ending sounds. 

 

 

Links to other teachers’ applications of this webpage –

 

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/diddle-diddle-generating-rhymes-216.html

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/getting-helping-children-discover-103.html

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/hunting-will-teaching-rhyming-264.html 

 

References –

 

We found this webpage on the ReadWriteThink.org website that was created by the International Reading Association.

 

International Reading Association. “ReadWriteThink.” 2012. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. http://www.readwritethink.org/.

 

 

Wordle

 

 

 

 

Definition

 

Wordle is a fun and interactive application to create word clouds from words of your choice. This amazing toy was created by, Jonathan Feinberg. It is designed for anyone that is looking for a fun way to portray words in a cloud. You can use a variety of fonts, colors and different angles.  Wordle allows any user to use their created Wordle however they like. 

 

Tutorial

 

How do you access/ use this page? Follow these steps:

 

We have created this lesson to incorporate two technology tools Wordle and Create-A-Word. From Create-A -Word we have created rhyming words to add to a Wordle.

 

1) Have students go to the following web page www.wordle.net

2) Have students select  « Create your own » section.

 

 

 

3) In the box below type in the words you created from Create-A-Word.

4) After you have typed the words select “submit” or “go” it’s located on the left corner of the page.

 

5) Once you have submitted your words a similar  screen but with your own words will appear.

 

 

6) Students will be able to change the font, layout, and the colors of their wordle by selecting  the options above.

 

7) After students have finished their wordle have them print their creation leaving space below to create a poem from the words they have just created.

 

8)Have students click the « Exit »  sign.

 

Why/Who ?

 

Who will use this tool and for what purpose ? All teachers including General Education and Special Education teacher can use this tool. It is  a fun and creative way for students to practice and see the pattern between rhyming words. Students can use their Wordle as a reference for the next activity  which consist of writing a poem using these new words.

 

Links to other teachers’ applications of this webpage

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCJIkqmK4q8

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6VDpRgaqT0

 

References

 

Jonathan Feingberg “ Wordle” 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.

            www.wordle.net