Most children enjoy working puzzles. Here is a way to make the puzzles work for your child. Make sight word puzzles. Use two rectangle strips of construction about 3" x 5". On the left side write the sight word that needs to be worked on. On the right side place a picture of the word. You can cut pictures out of magazines, catalogs, newspapers, or if you are artistic, you can draw your own pictures. After you've done that, then cut the sheet in half in some type of zig zag. Be sure to cut each set in different shapes. The child can look at the word and find the picture that matches it. If the puzzle shapes fit, then he knows it is correct. This self-checking activity helps to reinforce the sight word and the meaning of the word. Most children will work on this type of activity over and over.
Being able to decode words is an important skill in reading. Recognizing compound words is a part of that skill. Children need to be able to see that a compound word is made of 2 root or base words to make a new word. A fun activity to reinforce that skill is making "compound pictures." Using a large sheet of construction paper, fold it in half. Then fold each end to the middle so it opens like a double door. On the outside "doors," write each root word in the compound word, exp. for butterfly, write butter on the left side and fly on the right side. Above each root word have the child draw a picture to show a meaning of that word, exp: a stick of butter on the left; a fly (insect) on the right. On the inside of the "doors," write the compound word (butterfly) and draw a silly picture of the 2 root words together; exp. a stick of butter with wings. This will make a creative activity with most compound words and will help the child understand the words.