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SPONGE ACTIVITIES
FIRST-SECOND GRADE
“COMPOUNDING WORDS” + =
Description: Students combine words to create compound words.
Materials:
 Paper
 Sharpie/Pen
Standards:
1. Language Arts
Reading
Grade 2
Strand 1: Reading Process
Concept 4: Vocabulary
PO 7: Determine the meaning of compound words, using knowledge of individual words
(e.g., lunchtime, daydream, everyday)
Instructions:
1. Break up the compound words into their two separate words.
2. Write individual words on small pieces of paper.
3. Give each student either a beginning or end word that forms a compound word
4. Place their matches in the middle of the circle (include some extra words in the pile).
5. Students create compound words by playing with the different words.
6. Have the student hold up the two papers (words) side by side and say their word out loud.
 
 Ca
n’
“CONTRACTION IN A FASHION” t
Are
n’t
Description: Students match words to their combined word (contraction)
We
Materials: ’re
 Paper

 Sharpie

 Scissors

Standards:
1. Language Arts
Reading
Grade 2
Strand 1: Reading Process
Concept 4: Vocabulary
PO 6: Identify the words that compromise contractions (e.g. can’t = can not, it’s = it is, aren’t = are
not
Instructions:
1. Cut small strips of paper, one for each student.
2. Write either a contraction or the two words it represents.
3. Make sure each contraction has a match.
4. Give each student a card.
5. Tell students to find their match and when they do, it sit down together.
6. Have the student with the two words say theirs out loud.
7. Have the student with the contraction say what the word that is made when you combine the two.
 
“SPELLING CHAIN”
Description: Students practice spelling weekly sight words.
Materials:
 List of spelling words
Standards:
1. Language Arts
Writing
Grade 2
Strand 2: Writing Components
Concept 6: Conventions
PO 6: Spell high frequency words correctly
Instructions:
1. Have students stand up in a organized manner.
2. Call out a spelling word.
3. The first person in the chains says the first letter, and the next person in line says the second letter, and
so forth.
4. If a student gives a wrong letter, they are to sit down until the next word.
“THUMBS UP FOR VOWEL SOUNDS”
Description: Students identify long and short vowel sounds in words.
Materials:
Cards with short and long vowel sounds written on them
Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down signs

Standards:
1. Language Arts
Reading
Grade 1
Strand 1: Reading Process
Concept 3: Phonemic Awareness
PO 5: Distinguish between long and short vowel sounds in orally stated single-syllable words
(bit/bite)
Instructions:
1. Pass a single card to each student. Cards will either contain a sight word with a short vowel sound
(mat) or a long vowel sound (mate).
2. Have students come together at a meeting place in the classroom and let each student recite their
sight word out loud.
3. When students recite the word, they should crouch down if their word contains a short vowel
sound or stand up tall if their word contains a long vowel sound.
4. If other students agree, they should hold a “thumbs up” sign, and if the student is wrong, they
should hold the “thumbs down” sign.
5. Discuss the short/long vowel sound with the students.
“WILLOUGHBY WALLABY WOO”
Description: Students use rhyme to substitute phonemes.
Materials:
Lyrics

Standards:
1. Language Arts
Reading
Grade 1
Strand 1: Reading Process
Concept 2: Phonemic Awareness
PO 3: Recognize the new spoken word when a specified phoneme is added, changed
or removed (e.g., change cow to how, pan to an).
Instructions:
1. Recite the following rhyme by having each student insert their name.
2. Woo changes to “wee” for “me”, “woo” for “you” “Wustin” for “Justin”, and so
forth.

Willoughby wallaby woo

Willoughby wallaby wee, an elephant sat on me
Willoughby wallaby woo, an elephant sat on you
Willoughby wallaby Wustin, an elephant sat on Justin
Willoughby wallaby Wania, an elephant sat on Tania