Guess The Covered Word Procedure

Guess the Covered Word is a Working with words block activity. Its purpose is to help children practice the important strategy of cross-checking meaning with letter-sound information. Here is the procedure: 

The teacher writes four or five sentences on the board (or overhead) covering a word in each sentence with two sticky notes — one covering the onset, all the consonants prior to the first vowel, and the other sticky note covering the rest of the word. Most teachers tear their sticky notes so that the children become sensitive to word length also. 

The children read each sentence, then make several guesses for the covered word. (There are generally many possibilities for a word that will fit the context and the teacher points out that there are many possibilities when you can’t see any of the letters.) The guesses are written on the board. 

Next, the teacher takes off the first sticky note, which always covers all the letters up to the first vowel. 

Guesses which don’t begin with these letters are erased and new guesses which both fit in the meaning and start with the right beginning letters are made. When all the guesses which fit both meaning and beginning sounds have been written, the whole word is revealed. 

Page 148 The Teachers Guide to Four Blocks by Cunningham and Hall. (Used with permission)