This activity is a designed to give students practice with recognizing common words that containg a repetitious pattern of letters. I've used it with small groups, individual students, or even an entire class. It's a good way to begin or end a Language Arts class with you whole class, taking at most five minutes to present one word.

Cut out enough 4" squares from oaktag or posterboard. On each square draw a 3" diameter circle. In a clockwise fashion write the following letters directly on the line of each circle, evenly spacing them around it. The word after the letters should be written on the back of the square.

• B, O, N...bonbon
• V, E, R, I...river
• C, A, D, E...decade
• E, R, A, S...erase, eraser
• L, E, M, B...emblem
• I, N, G, R, A...ingrain, grain
• A, T, O, M...tomato
• R, A, P, H, O, T, O, G...photograph
• R, E, T, I...retire, tire
• S, I, C, L, A, S...classic
• E, C, I, D...decide
• E, G, I, B, L...legible
• A, T, O, R...orator
• E, R, M, I, T...termite
• L, I, V, E, N...enliven, liven
• R, O, N, G, E, S, T...strongest
• L, E, V, E...level
• T, H, I, R, T, I, E...thirtieth
• H, U, R, C...church
• E, R, E, V...revere, ever

Students start at any place on the circle and try to form a word by reading the letters in a clockwise fashion. To play with the whole class, draw the circle and letters on the chalkboard.


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Last updated July 22, 1997