Small Group Fun *Updated!

Happy October friends! I am super pumped for the cool weather headed our way in Bama...67?!? Yes, please! :)

I just started my reading small groups last week. So far, so good! I love how excited they are to come to the back table for the first time! HA! Sweet, sweet firsties! :)

The first thing I always do with my small groups is introduce the Alphabet Chart with my lower groups, and the Blend and Digraph Chart with my higher groups. I introduce one row at a time and echo read so they can hear the correct sounds. I use these all year long...eventually moving all of my groups to the Blend and Digraph chart. It only takes about 1 minute and I like that it signals the beginning of group time! I also put both of these charts in their Writing folder for added reinforcement. 

Click on the pictures to download an 
Alphabet Chart and a Blend and Digraph Chart for free!

A fun game we played last week is called Bananas! You can call it whatever you want...I went with Bananas to go with our jungle theme! ;)  I have flashcards of the all of the sight words introduced so far this school year and add more cards every week as more sight words are introduced. Right now, we have about 20 sight words. I also have 4 or 5 cards {more as more sight words are added} that say Bananas! To play the game, I put all the cards in a bucket. When the bucket gets to a child, they choose a card. If they can read the sight word, they keep the card. If they can't read it, they put it back in the bucket. If they get a card that says Bananas!, they have to put all of their cards in the discard pile. When the bucket is empty, the child with the most cards wins! We play a version of this game all the time...with phonics words too! :)

Click on the picture below to download 
Go Bananas for Sight Words {First Grade} for free!

 I am also loving these Roll and Read Fluency Phrases! They are such a great warm up or closing activity! It only takes 1 die and everyone can play in 3 - 4 minutes {or more if you have the time!} I like easy and fun small group activities all year long, but ESPECIALLY the first few weeks!

I just uploaded a Consonant Digraph version, as well as a Bundle Pack of all three sets {short vowels, long vowels, and consonant digraphs}. Click on the pics below to check it out!

I would LOVE to hear your favorite small group kick off activities!

Have a great week!!!