Basketball!!!
When I realized how much my students loved basketball, I made up my own game with… a trash basket and a small, rubber ball. They laughed, but it was my inexpensive way of providing much needed extra decoding practice in an enjoyable way.
After making large flash cards of the words we were learning, I divided the students into two teams. Taking turns, each one could earn a chance to shoot for a correct answer. The game progressed quickly, and the kids were happy to be moving around. The prize for the winning team: they could say they won… Oh, those were the days!
One day, after browsing through the local newspaper, I realized that some former students were now on the high school basketball team. Ten years had passed so quickly! I called the principal and arranged (paperwork included) to have the kindergarten bus bring two of them to my class after high school classes ended, but ours were still continuing. They chose their favorite childhood picture book to read aloud to the class. Then we played a game of decoding basketball. By that time I had purchased a child’s cardboard and plastic basketball hoop. The “heroes” gave advice on how to shoot, and everyone was allowed a second try after the advice. What fun!
I called it my “Role Model Project. “ In an area where many students did not graduate from high school, just the simple fact that these teens were still in school and working hard to graduate was motivating to my students. My present students couldn’t believe they were having the same lessons from the same teacher as these “heroes.” My former students seemed to enjoy sharing their memories, and they were now so tall, too! My present students were excited to learn the same lessons as the high school stars—-reading fundamentals never change, after all.
Stroll down memory lane with me for a moment…
If you are interested in the Sight Words that I used, they are available in the Reading Spotlight Store.
Here are some other interesting posts about education from my friends at TBOTEMC:
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