Summer Literacy Centers

Since I teach at a year round school, I teach during the summer. (Don't feel too bad for me, I get the whole Spring off while my students are still in school). Our summer school is more academic than the summer schools I went to growing up (that was mostly art and computer class). I get my new students for the year during summer and we hit the ground running starting in June. That means we start literacy centers starting the second week of school. So for those of you who teach summer school OR are looking for some summer-themed centers for the end of the year, I present my latest centers:

 One of the packets I made focuses on synonyms. First, students match sunshine synonyms together and write their answers.

 

The second activity students play the game concentration with synonyms.

 

To check summer synonyms out of TPT click here or on the pictures below:

I also created an antonym packet with the same activities as the synonym packet. Students match the antonym sunglasses:

Then students can play the game concentration with antonyms:

 

To see the summer antonyms on TPT click here or on the pictures below:

I also created a packet to work on long and short vowels, something I know my newly minted second graders will need a LOT of practice in.

 First students will practice making short vowel words using onset and rime cards.

Students then practice making long vowel words using onset and rime cards.

Once students have practiced working with long and short vowels, they will play the memory game concentration by matching either long or short vowel words. Students turn the cards face down, then turn two over at a time. If the cards match (either they are both long vowels or both short vowels) students get to keep the cards. If they don't match, they will be turned back face down.

 

To see this pack on TeachersPayTeachers, click here or on the pictures below:

 In order to practice identifying consonant clusters, students will do a seashell word sort by beginning consonants (either one, two, or three beginning consonants).

 

To check it out on TPT click here or on the pictures below:

My last center I created focused on those tricky "oo" words. Students sort words into either oo sound in moon or uh sound in look. (I love this center just because the clipart is so adorable. Who doesn't love ice cream?)

To see this on TPT click here or on the pictures below:

Anyone else here teaching summer school? Have some fun ideas to share?

St. Patrick's Day Literacy Centers

With St. Patrick's Day coming up, I've been working hard to make some centers that were relevant to the skills we're working on. I'm finally finished! Yay.

For the next few weeks we're working on distinguishing between open and closed syllables. I've noticed that many of my students are struggling to decode multi-syllable words. Some were even having trouble with unfamiliar two-syllable words! I decided we needed some work on breaking words down.

Introducing:

Students cut the words in half into first and second syllables. This allows them to see the difference between open syllables (ending in a vowel) or closed syllable (ending in a consonant). 

Click here to check it out on Teacher's Pay Teachers

After practicing breaking apart closed and open syllables, my students will work on a syllable sort. Open syllable "gold coins" go into the open syllable "pot of gold," closed syllable coins go into the closed syllable pot of gold.

Click here to check it out on TPT

One other skill we're working on right now if those lovely common-core aligned adverbs. I created an activity where students modify sentences using either "How," "Where," or "When" adverbs. They write three different adverbs in the same sentence and draw illustrations to show how the adverbs changes the meaning of the sentence.

Find it here on Teachers Pay Teachers

I'm so excited about these activities I decided to link up with Sharing Kindergarten's St. Patrick's Day Linky Party! Click on the link to find all the wonderful St. Patrick's Day activities!