Sight Words Spelling Game for Years 1 and 2: Rocket Race
This sight words spelling game for Year 1 and Year 2 is Rocket Race, an interactive whiteboard game by Teach This aligned to the Australian Curriculum. Students read and write high-frequency words whose spelling is not completely predictable from their sounds. Each question asks which word is spelt correctly and shows four stars, such as sayd, sed, said and siad. The game covers 12 tricky words, including because, friend, there, would and people. Each correct answer lights one of ten lights, and the rocket blasts off when all ten are lit. The player has three lives, and a wrong answer shows the correct spelling.
It opens in Microsoft PowerPoint on any interactive whiteboard, panel or projector, with no macros, no student logins and no student data collected. Each turn takes three to five minutes, so it fits straight after the morning spelling routine. The notes script every correction, so a relief teacher can run it without word cards.
Learning goals
- We are learning to read and write high frequency words.
- We are learning how to read and write high frequency words and use morphemic knowledge of letter patterns and morphemes to spell unfamiliar words.
- We are learning to use visual memory to read and accurately spell high frequency words.
Curriculum alignment
Australian Curriculum covers QLD / SA / WA / NT / TAS / ACT.
Differentiation
Modifications
Read all four choices aloud and point to each one before the player chooses. Let students keep a sight word card on their desk to compare with the words on the board.
Extensions
Ask the player to spell the word aloud without looking before choosing a star. Have the class write each of the 12 words in a sentence after the game.