Let’s face it, practicing sight words can be unbelievably monotonous. There is flashcard after flashcard or pages of paper where kids feel like they have to write the word 100 times. As teachers, we know that a good sight word vocabulary helps to build fluency and reading skills. So how do you get your kids to practice? Make it into a pancake game of course!
I can’t take credit for the idea of this game. I found a few examples of it on Pinterest (a great source for any teaching idea). However, I tweaked it a little and made it into a great center. First I cut out about 25 circles out of brown construction paper. It took a little time but trust me it’s worth it! Then I took the Dolch Primer word list (the sight word list I am currently working with) and wrote down one word on each pancake. Next, a trip to the local dollar store where I picked up two extra spatulas. The last step was a worksheet that I created. Here is how the game works. I set it up as a center and there are two or three students there at a time. Students work independently flipping over pancakes. When they flip one over, they read it out loud and then write it down on their worksheet. Other than a great way to practice reading sight words, this game also incorporates fine motor skills, a must for any special education teacher! Flipping over the pancakes is a little tricky and takes some coordination. We also practice grapho-motor skills as they write down what they read.
My students had such a blast last week pretending that they were chefs in a kitchen. One boy kept calling out “Order up! Ms. O- I have some pancakes for you!” I hope you enjoy!
