How Word Study Makes Language Learning Fun

There are many reasons why word study makes language learning fun. If you’ve never used this tactic in your homeschool, I invite you to try a few of my tips and suggestions below. And while you’re here, don’t forget to grab my free Vocabulary Word Organizers resource (at the end of the post).

How Word Study Makes Langauge Learning Fun

Language learning can often be one of the biggest hurdles for new readers to jump, especially when it comes to the English language. These suggestions below will help you see the benefits of making it fun and suggestions for implementing fun activities in your homeschool.

Word studies help with phonemic awareness.

Being able to identify and manipulate letter sounds in words is an important step when learning how to read. One of the best practices to help with letter sounds is to use word patterns, especially with unfamiliar words. Sight words are typically memorized, but when it comes to other words, kids will need to understand the sounds letters make.

Word studies help with phonics instruction.

Whether or not English and Language Arts are your favorite subjects to teach, they can sometimes be a bit difficult. Having word study resources on hand can help alleviate some of the frustration that can be felt by both you and your kids who are learning to read. I recommend intentionally writing in some word study activities in your lesson plans.

Word studies can help with literacy blocks.

Sometimes students will experience literacy blocks and need to have their lessons switched up a bit. Insert word study activities to help teach concepts in a fun way. In most cases, these study activities can also work with any current word study program you may already be using. As homeschoolers, it’s nice to have great options and a variety for teaching the same concept.

Hands-On Activities for Word Study Lessons

Use small groups of word lists when using a word study.

You don’t want to overwhelm your child with huge lists of words, let alone a lot of things to try and do at one time. When it comes to using a word study resource, it’s best to start out with just a few words and not move on until they have mastered the entire list.

Printable emergent readers and informational texts can be used for word studies.

Using your child’s favorite book(s), you can pull out individual words to do word studies with. Not only will they learn more about individual words, but they’ll also work on vital word study skills. Their comprehension will also be increased, meaning they’ll be able to understand what they are reading much better.

Use manipulatives such as magnetic letters, blocks with letters or words written on them, etc.

When using manipulatives, students can work at their own level to become fluent readers. Sticky notes are another great tool to use in conjunction with word studies, especially with learning parts of words. It’s pretty easy to get creative!