OH, NO!

OH, NO! is a simple game that Lauren modified from another game she saw once (but I cannot remember the original name). It is an easy game that motivates students to build their sight word vocabulary. Sight words are words that children recognize as soon as they see them. Their response should be immediate. The development of a strong sight word vocabulary leads to fluency and comprehension while reading. Conversely, if a child is expending a great deal of effort in trying to figure out an unknown word there is little cognitive functioning left for understanding.

OH, NO! encourages students to build this skill through continued repetition. Plus, they really enjoy playing. Here is all you need to do to play.

Get a shoe box, cut a hole in the top and cover it with colored paper.  Cut 5x7 index cards in half and write one sight word (or Dolch word) on each card.  Throw in a few cards with the words OH, NO! into the mix.

Now take turns pulling out a card and reading it.  If the word is new for the student support them by telling them the word but they must then put it back into the box. The object is to collect as many cards as possible. 

If you pull out an OH, NO! card you must put all of your cards back into the box.  However, the OH, NO! card is yours to keep.

See, SIMPLE.