This Kindergarten word activity is a must-do!
Just like Ralphie, your six-year-old will get a kick out of their chance to decode a secret message!
And good news.
You don’t need a Little Orphan Annie decoder pin for this mystery message. You just need some white paper and a marker for your Kindergartener to give this word activity a go!
Note: This activity is suitable for big kids with an understanding of phonics and sight words. For preschoolers, you can try making their name to decode.
RELATED: Have an older child and need some ideas? You will find many activities for ages 5-7-year-olds here! You will also love our BIG KID activity cards you can keep at home for instant ideas!
We can bring words to life with hands-on activities. This Kindergarten word activity is one of the brilliant ways to do so.
Once a child learns how to read, the world opens.
However, I do not suggest rushing reading.
There have been studies that preschoolers learning with direct academic instruction, rather than play-based instruction, may initially score higher academically, and then decrease over time. This article by Psychology Today shares a fascinating study that you can read more.
So take your time!
We can read books, along with playing fun word decoding games such as this, to keep the interest of learning exciting once they begin to take off!
RELATED: Here is a list of our favorite Kindergarten books to read aloud.
Word activities for Kindergarteners should encourage phonics-based instruction.
This readiness means that children can learn and practice:
- Syllables
- Letter sounds
- Recognizing word families
- Understanding how a combination of letters makes up one sound – for example, th, ch, er
- Writing simple books
What we don’t want to happen is that we show a child a flashcard, and they simply memorize a word. This memorization will not help them as reading levels become more complex. Teaching children decoding skills (along with learning sight words) is essential for their reading ability to grow.
Simple supplies such as these listed here will help your Kindergartener get started with hands-on learning.
So, how can we make learning words fun for our Kindergarteners?
I can just bet that you know the answer! We want to make words MEANINGFUL to children! Let’s think about how we can connect with our child and create a secret message.
RELATED: Are you planning to homeschool next year? Start here.
What will your secret message say to your five or six-year-old?
Does your Kindergartener enjoy Science? Come up with a fun Science fact message.
Is your six-year-old a sports fan? Write a secret message about a favorite athlete.
Are you headed on vacation? Share a note about something you look forward to doing together.
Anytime a young learner needs encouragement, think about what makes them tick. Perhaps a funny joke will make them smile.
Just remember to keep the phrase you use ON their reading level. If you are unsure what that is, start with a line from a familiar book.
Let’s get this Kindergarten word activity set up!
- Tape the white paper onto the tabletop.
- List out the letters of the alphabet.
- Add a number or symbol below each letter. I went with numbers because this was a quick and fast way for me to get set up.
- Think about your secret message.
- Begin adding boxes to represent the letters in each word.
RELATED: If you are looking to add more alphabet toys to your collection, you will find the complete list of favorites HERE.
Your setup may look a lot like this:
Once your secret message is ready to be decoded, invite your big kid over!
My first message was, “Good morning, good Lookin’!” and he had NO IDEA what I meant. So we tried it a second time for a homerun. This time, I went with a message that he was more familiar with and made him laugh.
I went with a funny riddle: Why are fish so smart? Because they live in schools! I found the joke here from Good Housekeeping. The words were a combination of decodable words and sight words that he has seen before.
Materials needed:
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Nothing beats a simple supply list. You can find our entire list of favorite supplies here with everything in one place!
For this Kindergarten letter activity, you only need two supplies!! Cheers to that!
This word activity for my Kindergartener was a fun way to continue practice sounding out and building words with familiar sounds!
Just like this list of unique toys for ages 6+, this activity was a hit!