Thanksgiving: Word Turkey
Thanksgiving Word Turkey: A Fun Phonics Game for Early Readers!
Looking to bring some festive fun into your phonics lessons this Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving Word Turkey is the perfect activity to keep young learners engaged while practicing letter sounds, beginning sounds, and CVC words! This resource features two games that reinforce phonemic awareness and early spelling skills, and it’s ideal for small groups or independent practice.
Game 1: Beginning Sounds Sort with Turkey Feathers
In this game, each turkey has a letter on its belly, representing the beginning sound students will focus on. The goal is for students to sort the feathers and place only those with pictures that start with the same sound on the turkey.
How It Works:
Set-Up: Print out the turkeys and their corresponding feathers. This game is available in color and black & white, so you can choose whichever suits your classroom best!
Play: Each student selects a turkey and sorts through the feather cards to find the four pictures that match the beginning sound on their turkey’s belly. For example, if the turkey has an “S” on its belly, students will look for feathers with images like “sun” or “sock.”
Why It’s Effective:
This sorting activity helps students build phonemic awareness by focusing on beginning sounds, a key component in early reading. By sorting feathers with matching sounds, students practice identifying initial sounds and associating them with letters.
Differentiation Tip: Use only the specific sounds that students are working on, or focus on particular letters in small group settings to target individual needs!
Game 2: CVC Word Building with the Giant Turkey
The second game is a CVC word-building challenge that helps students practice sounding out and writing simple words. Using a giant turkey template, students will pick a picture card, sound out the word, and then write it.
How It Works:
Set-Up: Print out the 26 CVC picture cards, each one representing a simple word (e.g., cat, hat, sun).
Play: Students select a card from the pile, say the word out loud, and then break down the sounds (beginning, middle, and ending sounds) while writing the word on their worksheet or a dry-erase board.
Why It’s Effective:
This CVC-focused game provides essential practice in phoneme segmentation, as students learn to identify and write the sounds in CVC words. By breaking down the words, they reinforce their understanding of beginning, middle, and ending sounds, which supports early spelling and reading.
Why You’ll Love Thanksgiving Word Turkey:
These games are a great addition to any early literacy program. By focusing on beginning sounds and CVC word formation, this resource builds foundational phonics skills that set students up for reading success. Plus, the Thanksgiving theme adds a seasonal twist that makes learning even more enjoyable!
Classroom Use Ideas:
Small Group Work: Differentiate learning by selecting specific letters or sounds that students need to focus on.
Independent Practice: Place the turkeys and feathers in a literacy center for individual practice.
Interactive Bulletin Board: Display the giant turkey template and let students add their written CVC words for a festive class showcase!
Whether you’re looking to reinforce beginning sounds or introduce simple word-building, Thanksgiving Word Turkey is a playful, effective way to help students practice phonics this holiday season. Enjoy watching your students soar as they gobble up these phonics skills! 🦃
