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    Pasta Word Work Ideas

    I am always collecting and sharing word work ideas for my classroom, and if it’s no prep, then even better! Today I’m sharing a simple, inexpensive way to practice hands-on literacy with little ones.
    All you need is dried pasta!
     Word Work Ideas
    Have you ever tried using pasta in your literacy centers?
    This is an old idea that I’ve been using for  20 years, and here’s what I use:
    • dried spaghetti
    • curved macaroni
    • dried ABC pasta
    With younger students, we simply build capital letters with spaghetti, identify them with partners, and copy them onto paper. Students also love making their names!
    TIP: Make colorful “word mats” out of facecloths so the pasta won’t roll.  
     
                                

     

    Next, we add curved macaroni to use in conjunction with the straight spaghetti to make lower case letters.  The kinaesthetic nature of the task is excellent for developing fine motor control and for drawing attention to the formation of letters. There is a great deal of decision making when choosing the pieces involved in each letter.  
     
                  
     
     
    We also use Alphabet Pasta to practice our words. I keep the pasta in plastic bins and they last for years!
    Here are some of the activities we do in class:
     
    1. Copy letters from an alphabet chart, or practice our names.
     
    2. Use the pasta to build daily or weekly sight words.
     
    3. Practice words that contain b, d, p and q for students having problems with reversing letters. Many times having to physically build the letter and decide which side of the “stick” the round part goes on can really help with reversals.
      
    4. Build short “pasta sentences”, complete with punctuation, and then copy them into journals. Try ABC pasta for this if you can find some. Dried legumes (like split peas) are perfect for periods that won’t roll away.
     
    5. Create a word on lined paper as shown above, then ask a partner to “edit” the word by pointing out formation problems, such as letter not being on the line properly. They can then “fix” the problem when they write the word themselves. Again, it draws attention to proper letter formation in a unique way, which then transfers to their writing in other tasks. 
     
    Students love working with the small pieces, and if they lose a few along the way it’s not a big deal. Best of all, there’s very little prep for the teacher to do and the pasta can be used for years. Sometimes I dye the vowels, blends or digraphs a different color, or use different shaped pasta just to keep it interesting!
    To see pictures of my complete sight word program
    and read about more word work ideas,
    you can click HERE.
    If you are looking for help teaching letter sounds and phonics?
    Try some free resources! Click HERE.
    Letter Sounds Poster for teaching letter sounds with daily practice.
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    Reader Interactions

    No Comments

    1. Shelley- TheWriteStuffTeaching

      August 16, 2014 at 9:00 am

      What a super fun way to practice making words Susanna. I had never thought about it. I guess some kids actually must sample it too! Thanks for sharing!

      The Write Stuff Teaching

    2. Sandy Welch

      August 16, 2014 at 9:49 am

      Great idea! I don't know how I didn't know about this! A great way to talk about lines, curves and circles to make letters. Reminds me of Handwriting Without Tears.Thank you!

    3. Nicole Rios

      August 16, 2014 at 10:14 am

      Oh my – how fun Susanna! I am going to try this to get my little lovable group super motivated about reading and writing. Thanks

      Nicole
      Mrs, Rios Teaches Second Grade

    4. Laura Schachter

      August 16, 2014 at 10:17 am

      Love this, Susanna!!! It's such a fun idea 🙂
      Laura

    5. Sally

      August 16, 2014 at 10:53 am

      I love this! Even my seconds have trouble with b, d, q, and p. What a fun way to practice!

      Sally from Elementary Matters

    6. Laura

      August 16, 2014 at 11:11 am

      Very cute, Susanna! Thanks for sharing! xo

      Laura Love to Teach

    7. Nicole from Teaching With Style

      August 16, 2014 at 12:19 pm

      Such a cute idea! Thanks!

    8. Jennifer @ Simply Kinder

      August 16, 2014 at 2:25 pm

      I love the way the room smells when you have all the uncooked pasta out! LOL. We use macaroni when we do the letter M but this a great multi sensory way to use the same materials! Love it!

      Jennifer from Simply Kinder

    9. Carolyn Kisloski

      August 16, 2014 at 2:34 pm

      What a fun idea! I love it! Especially because it really makes the kids notice the curves and straight lines in letters. I always look forward to your ideas in this blog hop cause they're always so great! 🙂
      Carolyn

    10. Second Grade is Out of This World!

      August 16, 2014 at 3:40 pm

      How fun! Thanks for sharing!
      Hilary
      Second Grade is Out of This World!

    11. Fern Smith

      August 16, 2014 at 3:53 pm

      So great, just so great! I've pinned you! 🙂
      ~Fern
      Fern Smith's Classroom Ideas!
      Fern Smith's Pinterest Boards!

    12. Angela Griffith

      August 18, 2014 at 5:29 pm

      Oh my goodness, I so needed this post, I have some kiddos who need some serious fine motor skills!! Thank you!

      Angela
      The Daily Alphabet

    13. maria

      October 20, 2014 at 9:58 pm

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