Multisensory Monday: Root Word Therm Thermometer

Posted by Tammi Brandon on 2nd Jun 2019

This week’s multisensory activity provides an example of a quick craft an older student might enjoy to practice the root word Therm. Although I was a lower elementary school teacher for several years, I have always enjoyed working with middle and high school students. For me, it has always been easy to develop activities that appeal to younger students. Those same activities, when presented to older students, sometimes incite eye rolls and groans. However, multisensory activities are of crucial importance to the older, struggling reader. Older students seem to enjoy card games, board games, and Bingo, but they often enjoy quick crafts as well.

Make it Multisensory

To teach the root word Therm (heat), give students a piece of card stock or construction paper. Instruct them to draw a large thermometer on it by drawing a circle at the bottom of the page and a long, skinny rectangle stretching from the top of the circle upwards. Students can then make measurement marks along the side of the rectangle.

Next, students will cut two small slits on the thermometer; one at the top and one at the bottom of the rectangle they just drew. Students will cut two thin rectangles; one from a piece of red construction paper and another from a lighter color paper. These rectangles should be narrow enough to slide through the slits made on the thermometer. Students will tape or glue these rectangles together to make one long piece. Then, slide the two-colored rectangle through the slits on the thermometer and tape the ends together, forming a loop.

The teacher may now say words with the root word Therm in them. Each time a word with “Therm” is heard, students will slide the red part of their thermometer up one marking.