1. art and entertainment
2. books and literature
3. poetry

Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™ Kit
Provide only the onset, such as l, and demonstrate
filling in different rimes to make new words: luna, lisa,
lama, lata, etc.
Related Really Good Stuff® Products:
Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart (#301665)
Spanish Vinyl Magnetic Letters (#304396)
Spanish Rhyming Endings Flip Books (#304398)
Spanish Make-a-Word Student Pocket Chart™ Kit
(#304402)
Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™ Kit
(#304406)
Essential Spanish Word Sorts (#302734)
Essential Spanish Word Sorts Demonstration Cards
(#303405)
EZread™ Spanish High Frequency Word Phrase Flash Cards
for Emergent Readers (#303895)
EZread™ Spanish High Frequency Word Phrase Flash Cards
for Beginning Readers (303892)
Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™ Kit
hearing them in isolation and as parts of words. In
addition, be sure to give the students opportunities to
see and hear patterns repeated through literature,
songs, and poems before you begin word building.
Congratulations on your purchase of the Really Good
Stuff® Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™
Kit–a great small group demonstration tool for your
letter-recognition and word-building activities.
This Really Good Stuff® product includes:
• 80 Spanish Letter Cards
• Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart
• This Really Good Stuff® Activity Guide
When the students are ready, demonstrate building
simple familiar words. Introduce common syllables, such
as pa, ma, ta, and sa, and build short words. Explore
series of simple words using syllable substitution (mapa,
masa) and initital phoneme substitution (mapa, tapa).
Use the Pocket Chart to explore common rhyming endings
and beginning blends. Give students plenty of practice
with each word-building activity before moving on to the
next one.
Use the Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™
Kit to demonstrate how to build words and manipulate
phonemes. It provides a place for students to form words
in succession using Letter Cards, which they can easily
move around and store right in the same Chart.
Students working individually and in small groups, with
the necessary teacher support, can use the Chart for
extensive word-building activities.
Management
• Work with individuals or small groups of three to five
students or use the Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop
Pocket Chart™ Kit at a literacy center.
• Choose the Letter Cards you’ll be using in the
demonstration or activity ahead of time. Store the
remaining Letter Cards in alphabetical order for
quicker access. Keep the accented vowels behind the
unaccented vowels so that you can access them
when necessary.
• Keep a good pace. Word building is more effective
when it takes place on a consistent daily schedule.
Students make stronger connections and are better
at recognizing patterns when they regularly engage
in this work.
3. Explore Building Words with Consonant Blends
Introduce consonant blends as a series of letters that
appear together at the beginning of words. If you’re
following the syllabic approach, clump the blends
together with the vowels: bla, ble, bli, blo, blu, etc.
Demonstrate how to make a simple word, such as
mando, into a new word with a beginning blend by
changing the m to a bl to make blando. Make the word
and then have students practice making it on their own.
From Letter Work to Word Building
All the activities in this guide can be adapted for
students at different stages of language development.
Store the Letters in alphabetical order in the Pocket
Chart. Keep the accented vowels behind the unaccented
vowels for quicker access during word-building activities.
Emergent Level
*Students are beginning to learn sounds and letters.
Word Building for Literacy Development
1. Introduce Spanish Letters in the Make-a-Word
Desktop Pocket Chart
Prepare children at the first level of literacy
development with frequent and varied letteridentification activities before you start word building.
Use the bottom pockets of the Pocket Chart as a
place to look at a letter in isolation, talk about its
shape and corresponding sound, and contrast and
compare various letters.
Though the activity is building words, the goal is reading
words. Repetitive manipulation of Letter Cards helps
students understand how sound elements make up
words. As this process becomes automatic, students
develop a solid foundation for reading.
Use the Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™
Kit to introduce phonemes, or sound parts, by looking at
their positions in words. Provide many opportunities for
students at the emergent reading level* to practice
recognizing letters and their sounds by seeing and
When students are ready, build words with other
consonant blends, such as br, cl, cr, dr, fl, fr, gl, gr, pl, pr,
and tr.
Start with the vowels. Place a vowel in the bottom row
of the Chart and have students name the letter and
All activity guides can be found online:
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
®
© 2010 Really Good Stuff
1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304406
Helping Teachers Make A Difference
®
®
© 2010 Really Good Stuff
1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304406
Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™ Kit
its sound, and then write the letter, first in the air and
then on paper or on a dry erase board. Associate each
letter with an animal or object for added interest: a,
araña, e, elefante, i, iguana, etc.
Choose a few Cards for each of three or four letters
that you have already introduced in the Pocket Chart.
For example, if you are focusing on vowels, select three
a’s, three e’s, and two o’s. Have the student sort the
letters into the Pocket Chart or onto the table,
providing support as necessary.
Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™ Kit
row of the Pocket Chart. Explain what you’re doing: “I’m
putting co at the beginning of the word, and co at the
end of the word…co-co makes coco.”
Allow the student to build the same word right under
yours. Next, remove the Letter Cards and have the
students build the word without following the example.
Allow time for students to explore word building on
their own. Students who need extra support should get
repeated practice building words they see written on
paper or displayed in a Pocket Chart.
Early Level
Students recognize sounds and are beginning to read
words. (Examples of both the syllabic and phonetic
approach are provided.)
Introduce the consonants in the same way. Display the
letters you have practiced in a Pocket Chart or on an
overhead projector, and have the students say the
sound and letter name as you point to each Card.
2. Hunt for Letters
Practice letter recognition by having the student find
letters as you name them.
Select up to four different letters the students have
been studying, and take one Card or multiple Cards for
each letter. Lay the Cards on the table in front of the
student.
As you call out a letter, have the student repeat the
letter name, and select the letter from the Cards on
the table. The student places the Card in the bottom
row of the Pocket Chart. If you provide multiple copies
of the letters, have the student choose only one Card
each time you call out a letter. Name the letters in
random order, without naming the same letter twice in
a row.
Beginning Letter Substitution
An alternative to syllable substitution is individual
letter substitution. Practice this with common endings
so that students can see how they can make a whole
series of words by changing just the beginning sound.
Demonstrate how to change the beginning sound, m, in
mala to an s, to make sala. Follow the same procedure
as above, but emphasize how each word is made up of a
beginning sound and an ending series of letters.
1. CVCV Pattern—Syllable Substitution
After introducing common syllables in Spanish,
students are ready to start putting those syllables
together to form words.
Encourage students to verbalize how he or she knows
which letters match, even if that student is not sure
of the letter names: “The letter is just a circle. This
one has a line next to the circle.” Other activities
include partner match using the Letter Cards and
picking out one letter that does not match the rest.
Wrap up each sort by having the student name each
letter and its sound.
4. Introduce Word Building with Simple Words
Demonstrate building a simple, known word with a
syllable that repeats itself, such as coco or papa, by
placing the letters, one at a time, in the second to last
Go over the sounds in a familiar CVCV word such as
pila, and have the student(s) watch as you
demonstrate changing one of the syllables. Change
pi to sa and ask, “What’s the new word?” Encourage
the student to point to the sounds while slowly
saying the new word: “/s/ /a/ /l/ /a/…sala.” Repeat
the demonstration, replacing the first syllable with
other syllables to make new words. Then have the
student do the replacing, verbalizing how he or she
made a new word.
When a student has had plenty of practice with the
first ending (ala), move on to a different common
ending.
2. Explore Onsets and Rimes
Review the process of changing the first letter of a
word to make a new word.
After the review, place rime cards (cards that show
just the rhyming endings, such as apa, esa, ama, una,
isa, or aña) in the Pocket Chart.
Speed up the pace as the students’ letter and sound
recognition becomes more automatic.
Demonstrate filling in the onset (beginning sound) to
make a new word. Then have students practice making
words by adding onsets to rimes.
3. Sort Letters
Of course, sorts are an important step when students
are learning letter sounds. Use this activity to sort
letters by focusing on visual characteristics. There are
many ways to vary this activity.
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
Place up to three possible syllable combinations in
front of the student and have him or her make words
by placing Letter Cards in the beginning syllable
position, offering support as needed. The student
should say each new word.
© 2010 Really Good Stuff® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304406
After practicing filling in the onset, reverse the activity.
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
© 2010 Really Good Stuff® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304406
Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™ Kit
its sound, and then write the letter, first in the air and
then on paper or on a dry erase board. Associate each
letter with an animal or object for added interest: a,
araña, e, elefante, i, iguana, etc.
Choose a few Cards for each of three or four letters
that you have already introduced in the Pocket Chart.
For example, if you are focusing on vowels, select three
a’s, three e’s, and two o’s. Have the student sort the
letters into the Pocket Chart or onto the table,
providing support as necessary.
Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™ Kit
row of the Pocket Chart. Explain what you’re doing: “I’m
putting co at the beginning of the word, and co at the
end of the word…co-co makes coco.”
Allow the student to build the same word right under
yours. Next, remove the Letter Cards and have the
students build the word without following the example.
Allow time for students to explore word building on
their own. Students who need extra support should get
repeated practice building words they see written on
paper or displayed in a Pocket Chart.
Early Level
Students recognize sounds and are beginning to read
words. (Examples of both the syllabic and phonetic
approach are provided.)
Introduce the consonants in the same way. Display the
letters you have practiced in a Pocket Chart or on an
overhead projector, and have the students say the
sound and letter name as you point to each Card.
2. Hunt for Letters
Practice letter recognition by having the student find
letters as you name them.
Select up to four different letters the students have
been studying, and take one Card or multiple Cards for
each letter. Lay the Cards on the table in front of the
student.
As you call out a letter, have the student repeat the
letter name, and select the letter from the Cards on
the table. The student places the Card in the bottom
row of the Pocket Chart. If you provide multiple copies
of the letters, have the student choose only one Card
each time you call out a letter. Name the letters in
random order, without naming the same letter twice in
a row.
Beginning Letter Substitution
An alternative to syllable substitution is individual
letter substitution. Practice this with common endings
so that students can see how they can make a whole
series of words by changing just the beginning sound.
Demonstrate how to change the beginning sound, m, in
mala to an s, to make sala. Follow the same procedure
as above, but emphasize how each word is made up of a
beginning sound and an ending series of letters.
1. CVCV Pattern—Syllable Substitution
After introducing common syllables in Spanish,
students are ready to start putting those syllables
together to form words.
Encourage students to verbalize how he or she knows
which letters match, even if that student is not sure
of the letter names: “The letter is just a circle. This
one has a line next to the circle.” Other activities
include partner match using the Letter Cards and
picking out one letter that does not match the rest.
Wrap up each sort by having the student name each
letter and its sound.
4. Introduce Word Building with Simple Words
Demonstrate building a simple, known word with a
syllable that repeats itself, such as coco or papa, by
placing the letters, one at a time, in the second to last
Go over the sounds in a familiar CVCV word such as
pila, and have the student(s) watch as you
demonstrate changing one of the syllables. Change
pi to sa and ask, “What’s the new word?” Encourage
the student to point to the sounds while slowly
saying the new word: “/s/ /a/ /l/ /a/…sala.” Repeat
the demonstration, replacing the first syllable with
other syllables to make new words. Then have the
student do the replacing, verbalizing how he or she
made a new word.
When a student has had plenty of practice with the
first ending (ala), move on to a different common
ending.
2. Explore Onsets and Rimes
Review the process of changing the first letter of a
word to make a new word.
After the review, place rime cards (cards that show
just the rhyming endings, such as apa, esa, ama, una,
isa, or aña) in the Pocket Chart.
Speed up the pace as the students’ letter and sound
recognition becomes more automatic.
Demonstrate filling in the onset (beginning sound) to
make a new word. Then have students practice making
words by adding onsets to rimes.
3. Sort Letters
Of course, sorts are an important step when students
are learning letter sounds. Use this activity to sort
letters by focusing on visual characteristics. There are
many ways to vary this activity.
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
Place up to three possible syllable combinations in
front of the student and have him or her make words
by placing Letter Cards in the beginning syllable
position, offering support as needed. The student
should say each new word.
© 2010 Really Good Stuff® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304406
After practicing filling in the onset, reverse the activity.
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
© 2010 Really Good Stuff® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304406
Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™ Kit
Provide only the onset, such as l, and demonstrate
filling in different rimes to make new words: luna, lisa,
lama, lata, etc.
Related Really Good Stuff® Products:
Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart (#301665)
Spanish Vinyl Magnetic Letters (#304396)
Spanish Rhyming Endings Flip Books (#304398)
Spanish Make-a-Word Student Pocket Chart™ Kit
(#304402)
Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™ Kit
(#304406)
Essential Spanish Word Sorts (#302734)
Essential Spanish Word Sorts Demonstration Cards
(#303405)
EZread™ Spanish High Frequency Word Phrase Flash Cards
for Emergent Readers (#303895)
EZread™ Spanish High Frequency Word Phrase Flash Cards
for Beginning Readers (303892)
Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™ Kit
hearing them in isolation and as parts of words. In
addition, be sure to give the students opportunities to
see and hear patterns repeated through literature,
songs, and poems before you begin word building.
Congratulations on your purchase of the Really Good
Stuff® Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™
Kit–a great small group demonstration tool for your
letter-recognition and word-building activities.
This Really Good Stuff® product includes:
• 80 Spanish Letter Cards
• Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart
• This Really Good Stuff® Activity Guide
When the students are ready, demonstrate building
simple familiar words. Introduce common syllables, such
as pa, ma, ta, and sa, and build short words. Explore
series of simple words using syllable substitution (mapa,
masa) and initital phoneme substitution (mapa, tapa).
Use the Pocket Chart to explore common rhyming endings
and beginning blends. Give students plenty of practice
with each word-building activity before moving on to the
next one.
Use the Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™
Kit to demonstrate how to build words and manipulate
phonemes. It provides a place for students to form words
in succession using Letter Cards, which they can easily
move around and store right in the same Chart.
Students working individually and in small groups, with
the necessary teacher support, can use the Chart for
extensive word-building activities.
Management
• Work with individuals or small groups of three to five
students or use the Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop
Pocket Chart™ Kit at a literacy center.
• Choose the Letter Cards you’ll be using in the
demonstration or activity ahead of time. Store the
remaining Letter Cards in alphabetical order for
quicker access. Keep the accented vowels behind the
unaccented vowels so that you can access them
when necessary.
• Keep a good pace. Word building is more effective
when it takes place on a consistent daily schedule.
Students make stronger connections and are better
at recognizing patterns when they regularly engage
in this work.
3. Explore Building Words with Consonant Blends
Introduce consonant blends as a series of letters that
appear together at the beginning of words. If you’re
following the syllabic approach, clump the blends
together with the vowels: bla, ble, bli, blo, blu, etc.
Demonstrate how to make a simple word, such as
mando, into a new word with a beginning blend by
changing the m to a bl to make blando. Make the word
and then have students practice making it on their own.
From Letter Work to Word Building
All the activities in this guide can be adapted for
students at different stages of language development.
Store the Letters in alphabetical order in the Pocket
Chart. Keep the accented vowels behind the unaccented
vowels for quicker access during word-building activities.
Emergent Level
*Students are beginning to learn sounds and letters.
Word Building for Literacy Development
1. Introduce Spanish Letters in the Make-a-Word
Desktop Pocket Chart
Prepare children at the first level of literacy
development with frequent and varied letteridentification activities before you start word building.
Use the bottom pockets of the Pocket Chart as a
place to look at a letter in isolation, talk about its
shape and corresponding sound, and contrast and
compare various letters.
Though the activity is building words, the goal is reading
words. Repetitive manipulation of Letter Cards helps
students understand how sound elements make up
words. As this process becomes automatic, students
develop a solid foundation for reading.
Use the Spanish Make-a-Word Desktop Pocket Chart™
Kit to introduce phonemes, or sound parts, by looking at
their positions in words. Provide many opportunities for
students at the emergent reading level* to practice
recognizing letters and their sounds by seeing and
When students are ready, build words with other
consonant blends, such as br, cl, cr, dr, fl, fr, gl, gr, pl, pr,
and tr.
Start with the vowels. Place a vowel in the bottom row
of the Chart and have students name the letter and
All activity guides can be found online:
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
®
© 2010 Really Good Stuff
1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304406
Helping Teachers Make A Difference
®
®
© 2010 Really Good Stuff
1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304406