Introduction
Halloween is a magical time of year, filled with costumes, candy, and captivating tales of witches, ghosts, and ghouls. It's also a fantastic opportunity to infuse the science of reading into the holiday spirit. Multi-sensory structured literacy techniques offer an engaging way to incorporate reading and learning into your Halloween celebrations. In this blog post, we will explore some exciting Halloween activities that combine the spooky season with the science of reading.
Pumpkin Letter Matching
Pumpkins are synonymous with Halloween, and they can also be a fun way to engage young readers. Create a set of mini-pumpkins, each bearing a different letter of the alphabet. Then, have children match the pumpkins with the corresponding letters on a piece of paper. Encourage them to say the letter's name and sound as they make the matches, reinforcing their letter recognition skills.
Spelling Witches' Brew
Turn your kitchen or classroom into a spellbinding laboratory by concocting a "Witch's Brew" with your little learners. Create flashcards with pictures that are associated with the words/concept you are currently working on. Place these cards in a cauldron (a large pot will do) and have children pick one out. Ask them to spell the word correctly before adding the ingredient (like an orange gummy worm) to the "brew." Get your free Witches Brew Spelling Companion Here Here is a link to a halloween flashcard freebie!
Story-time with Spooky Tales - Building Vocabulary
Gather the kids for a cozy, Halloween-themed story-time. Select age-appropriate books that relate to Halloween, whether they are about friendly ghosts, curious witches, or spooky adventures. Display and talk about the vocabulary in the story prior to reading the book. It's important to give an appropriate definition, but to also use the word in context. Encourage children to participate by talking about the vocabulary and using the words in their own sentence. While reading, you can point out the vocabulary word and talk about how it applies to the story. This would also be a great time to incorporate some morphology (the study of words their parts)! This interactive reading experience promotes phonemic awareness, comprehension, and language development. Here is a link to a halloween flashcard freebie!
Spider Web Word Building
Transform your home or classroom into a spider's lair and create a spider web word-building activity. Write a set of words on slips of paper and place them around the room. Provide children with a set of yarn or string and ask them to create "webs" by connecting the words in a sequence that makes sense. This activity helps with vocabulary, reading comprehension, and fine motor skills. Here is a link to a halloween flashcard freebie!
Conclusion
Halloween is a fantastic opportunity to combine the science of reading with spooky fun. These multi-sensory structured literacy Halloween activities engage children's senses while reinforcing critical reading skills. Whether you're matching pumpkins, brewing spells, enjoying a spooky vocabulary building story-time, or creating word webs, these activities encourage a love for reading that can extend far beyond Halloween. So, embrace the season and turn it into a literacy adventure that your little ghouls and goblins won't forget!
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