Speed Sorting

Students "speed sort" picture cards by beginning sound (in this case sh, s, and h) on simple 3 column laminated mats that they reuse over and over again each week during Words Their Way word study lessons. After sorting the words in a whole group setting using a **pocket chart, each student gets his/her own set of cards to cut out. I time the class, record the time and we try to do it faster the second time, etc. Simple but effective and fun for the kids. Note: Make sure the kids are taking all the cards off and MIXING them up after each sort. Some try to stack them up in order to make it faster to put them all back on the mat. I really watch them actual mix them all up. :)

**One idea I've tried this year to help me better assess the kids during the whole group pocket chart sorting time is to assign each sound a number and label it with a sticky note. I say the word and the kids hold up the number of fingers that corresponds to the first sound they hear. (Since this is a phonemic awareness activity, the picture is not shown.) I can quickly visually scan to see who is having trouble and work with those students further.
EX: th (1) sh (2) ch (3)