39 I Spy
Angela Palmer
Strategy Overview:
- I Spy is a great way to encourage students to work together to practice vocabulary and oral language skills
- This activity engages students in speaking and listening skills, which are essential in the oral language competency (Lesaux & Carr). Students must collaborate with one another in order to follow along with the activity. This skill also fosters Social Emotional Skills while they become aware of their environment and how to convey information to another person (Lesaux & Carr).
- This strategy allows students to use vocabulary skills and the understanding they have of language to give directions to their peers.
- This activity can be used as a fun warm-up/conclusion activity to the literacy block. I Spy allows students to observe the environment around them and hold discussions with their peers about what’s in their environment.
Strategy in Action
Student 1: “I Spy with my little eye… something white and rectangle”
Student 2: “Do you spy… the paper?”
Student 1: “No.”
Student 2: “Do you spy… the whiteboard?”
Student 1: “Yes! What do you spy?”
Student 2: “I Spy something that starts with the letter p.”
Student 1: Do you spy… your pencil?”
Student 2: “Yes! Your turn again.”
Related Resources
Raising Children Network. (2023, November 13). ‘I spy’: turn-taking and talking activity for children 3-6 years.
Lesaux, N.K., Carr, K.C. (2024). Brief 1: Science of reading: What is it? New York State Education Department.
Lesaux, N.K., Carr, K.C. (2024). Brief 5: Science of reading: The elementary years. New York State Education Department.
Sesame Workshop. (2014, September 2). Sesame street: I spy game [Video]. YouTube.
