I am always looking for new ways to differentiate activities for all learners. Yesterday students participated in a rhyming center as part of the independent reading center activity. This ice cream themed center was perfect for differentiation. Students matched a picture on the come to the picture on the scoop of ice cream that rhymed. To take this activity one step further, a scoop of ice cream with a word typed out on it that rhymes with the others was added.

Another example occurred this morning when I introduced the letter c. First we watched our Story Bots clip and brainstormed words that begin with the /c/ sound.

Then I wrote the letter combinations ch, ce, ci, and cy and told the students that the letter c also makes these sounds. (Crazy, I know!) I provided them with examples like chimney, cent, circus, etc. Next, they watched this video.  I can’t say enough positive things about the PBS show Between the Lions. (Please excuse the quality of the video….I couldn’t find one with a working link, so I recorded using my phone.)

The end result is that those children who are learning the hard c sound have been exposed to the additional spellings and sounds the letter makes, while those students who are ready for more enjoy the challenge of recognizing and using these spelling patterns in the books they are reading and the writing they are engaged in in class.