Daily Word Ladders: Grades 4-6

Great strategy for teaching vocabulary and word association. My students love it. They say things like, "This is Fun"! I agree.

I got to listen to the author, Timothy Rasinki, do a presentation for our district and he had wonderful suggestions and ideas. I bought this book for my students to use as filler activities and they are fun. Of course you have to work on a few together until they get the hang of what it is they must do. Some of the words may be difficult to get for some, it may not be something that many will be able to finish on their own, so I had mine work in pairs.
He also suggested using the book "Instant Vocabulary" which I also bought and loved it. It helped me increase their vocabulary (and mine) by listing root words and their meanings. Great for 5 minute fillers to introduce a root word or two.

Kids enjoy the challenge of doing the word ladders, and it is a good opportunity to introduce new vocabulary to them. They are fun and quick - perfect for the 'downtime' the brain needs after intensive instruction.