SnapWords: Learning Sight Words With Using Your Whole Body

Funded Feb 6, 2017

My students and I have loved every minute of using SnapWord cards in our classroom. When we first unboxed the cards, the students cheered with excitement as they flipped through the fun-colored and child-friendly animated cards that included both known and unknown words. Each day we practice sight words using SnapWords. On Monday-Wednesday, the students practice sight words by looking at the animated picture associated with the SnapWord card, create a meaningful sentence that matches with the card, and last they say the word while using the pre-designated action on the back of each card. These cards are time savers and energy producers. On Thursday and Friday, I flip the cards over to the word written in plain black font and my students try to say the word, reproduce the sentence and mimic the action associated with the card. What a great way to increase, strengthen and develop recall skills in a purposeful and fun way.

I purchased the SnapWords specifically to offer my low English Language Learners another mode in which to store the new sight words (really english words) in their brains. Of all the students in my class, this group loves to show their sight word independence by playing 'teacher' with the SnapWord cards. At the beginning of their reading group, I will see this group take the words of the week off of the board and practice showing the cards with plain bolded print to their neighbor. If their reading partner cannot remember the word, they do the action associated with the card and then give that student hints to what the animated side of the card looks like trying their best not to give away the word unless absolutely necessary. I have even seen my students take the words outside at recess and have their classmates practice reading the cards as they cross the monkey bars.

Thanks to the you all and helping me to invest in SnapWord cards, everyday is a new opportunity to learn sight words through kinesthetic movements and visual stimulation. It is very unlikely for me to ever go back to using plain and boring flash cards to practice basic rote memory of sight words again. Learning should come alive and now it has. Smart kids rock and so do you. Thank you for being such an invaluable part of learning in our first grade classroom.”

With gratitude,

Ms. Brown