Stretch It Out Like Bubblegum!

I use my Word Train and "Stretch It Out Like Bubblegum" to help kinders learning to read and write words. The Word Train will help them focus on the beginning, middle and end of words. It is great for both encoding and decoding and helps give some structure to your early word work lessons. You can read more about the Word Train on my blog post from 2011

I have had my bubblegum strategy on my to-do list for about 3 years! You can imagine how excited I am to finally finish it. I have always taught this strategy in the classroom, but have never developed cute and fun posters and resources to go along with it.

When I first introduce it, I actually bring a packet of bubblegum to class and show them how stretchy it is (just in case some students have not had some). I pretend to take a piece and tell my students that the piece of bubblegum is a word (usually when I am doing my modelled writing for the day). I pretend I can't spell a word (e.g snail). I will chew it up and stretch it out to help me spell the word.

I then pretend to stretch the bubblegum right out of my mouth, saying the sounds clearly and slowly 'ssssssnnnnnnnaaaaaiiiiiiiilllllllllllll'

I repeat this a few time, review the sounds I can 'hear', pretend I can't hear a few, and repeat till I get them all. I then model how to write them down in order as I stretch them out again.

Once introduced, my students help me everyday to 'stretch' words out and listen for the sounds. They really enjoy it. Of course we talk about how it is not very nice to really stretch your bubblegum out!

They then apply this strategy when they are doing their independent writing and all I have to say is 'stretch it out like bubblegum' and they know what to do!

Click on the images below to see my new packet on TpT



Look out for my 'Words that Pop' packet, coming soon, that incorporates words that just 'pop' into our head like bubblegum popping!