Sight Words Fine Motor Skills Task Boxes

Description

This sight words fine motor task boxes set is filled with 10 engaging activities designed to give your students reading practice while they build fine motor skills. Perfect for morning tubs, early finishers, literacy centers, or busy boxes, this set of sight words activities targets the development of standards-aligned literacy concepts and fine motor skills in preschool and kindergarten students while also fostering independence and excitement about school. Designed to be completed independently, these sight words fine motor activities build finger strength, dexterity, and coordination while giving you time to take care of some of the many other tasks that demand your attention each day!

What You Get in this Sight Words Fine Motor Set:

This set includes ideas and printable materials for 10 fine motor sight words activities. Each task is designed to fit into a standard plastic pencil box and includes a printable label, picture directions, and other materials (such as work mats or task cards). The tasks in this set are intended to help your students master kindergarten reading standards but are appropriate for any child that needs practice with letters and sounds.

This sight words set is designed to grow with your students as they increase their knowledge of sight words. Several common word lists are included in this set (Dolch pre-primer through 3rd grade, and Fry first 200).

Some of these sight word practice activities require the inclusion of a word ring and others need word tracing cards. These cards are included at the end of the file.

The included sight word practice activities are:

▶ Playdough Sight Words
Students form words out of dough. This activity includes three directions card options: students simply form the word, students form the word and write the word, and students form the word and write a sentence.

▶ Pasta Word Building
Students form words out of dry pasta (elbow macaroni and linguini). This activity includes three directions card options: students simply form the word, students form the word and write the word, and students form the word and write a sentence.

▶ Word Beading (letter beads)
Students build words by stringing beads. Directions are included for letter-shaped beads as well as for cube-shaped letter beads. In addition, differentiated directions are included for students to write the words or sentences (as with the above activities).

▶ Gel Writing
Students use a cotton swab to trace word cards placed under a bag of colored hair gel. (Instructions are included for making the gel bag.)

▶ Magnetic Letter Sight Words
Students build words with magnetic letters. Differentiated cards are included for word writing and sentence writing (as well as just building the word).

▶ Pony Bead Sight Words
Students place pony beads on word cards to make mosaic letters. Differentiation options are included.

▶ Newspaper Word Search
Students search for and highlight sight words in newspaper clippings.

▶ Pattern Blocks
2 Versions: Students read a simple sight word sentence on one of eight puzzle cards and build a puzzle OR Students build a puzzle and write a sentence using the word labeled on the puzzle card.

▶ Cube Building
2 Versions: Students read a simple sight word sentence on one of eight template cards and build a model OR Students build a model and write a sentence using the word labeled on the template card.

▶ Missing Word Clip Cards
Students use clothespins to select the correct word to complete a sentence.

How to Use These Fine Motor Activities:

Once you get your students started with these task boxes with some initial instructions, they will be up and running and ready for independence! These sight words fine motor task boxes are perfect to grab during any of the times that you need students to be independent, engaged, and productive. Use these simple fine motor activities as morning tubs when students arrive in the classroom (a soft start is a great way to let students gently adjust to the school day) or as early finishers for children who finish their work quickly. These sight word practice activities are also useful during literacy center time, indoor recess, or any time students need a quiet break to re-focus.

To prepare these Sight Words Fine Motor Task Boxes, print and laminate the activity label and instructions as well as the printable activity materials. Attach the activity label to the outside of the box and the illustrated instruction card inside the lid. (You can use Velcro to attach the labels if you want to have the flexibility to easily switch activities throughout the year!) Place all listed materials inside the box. Each activity requires the inclusion of other classroom items such as manipulatives or basic classroom supplies (listed below).

Once assembled, these fine motor activities stack easily on a shelf. Teach your students what procedures you would like them to follow for use and clean up. Some teachers allow students to come into the classroom and quietly select any of the morning tubs, while others prefer a check-in/out system that encourages children to cycle through the activities. Another option is to make a selection of task boxes available at each table and rotate them as the week goes on. This option can cut down on transition time and allow students to quickly choose an early finisher or literacy center activity.

What Teachers Are Saying:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I wish there was an A+ above to choose from. This product is amazing. I just need to have the resources ready and print the required sheet and I am good to go. My students have fun like no others at the same time developing some fine motor skills.” -Beverly A.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Fantastic resource for promoting independence. Great for kindergarten.” –Noreen S.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I loop with my students, and it can be challenging to constantly reinvent center activities for them to participate in. This resource was a huge time saver, and the students loved the activities! Thank you!” –Nicole S.

Recommended Materials List (not included in purchase):

copy paper, card stock, laminator/film
binder rings (3)
playdough
dry pasta (elbow macaroni and linguini)
letter beads, pony beads, shoe lace
Gel Bag: 2 zip-top bags, hair gel, food coloring, duct tape, cotton swab
lowercase magnetic letters
newspaper, yellow crayon, hand lens
pattern blocks
connecting cubes
clothespins

Why are fine motor skills important?

Research shows that well-developed fine motor skills in young children are a predictor of academic success. It makes sense that children with dexterity and hand strength would be more successful in a classroom that requires writing and drawing, but researchers have found that the connection goes beyond that. Through a series of studies using longitudinal data that tracked students from kindergarten through eighth grade, researchers determined that strong fine motor skills in the early years of life help form connections in the brain that lead to greater academic achievement throughout the school years. Unfortunately, advances in technology have led many families away from traditional activities that promote fine motor development. The time that many children spend using computers, tablets, and smartphones is time that they are not spending building, drawing, and manipulating objects in the world around them. Many children are beginning school with a deficit of motor skills, both gross and fine. It is important for schools to give children many opportunities to build those skills.

If you have any questions, email susan@myhappyplaceteaching.com or use the contact form on this site.

Thank you for shopping!

Susan Jennings (My Happy Place)

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Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

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