Spelling Practice Suggestions

  • Spelling is a part of your child's weekly homework. Plan on spending around ten minutes per night on spelling homework. Here are some suggestions on how to practice these words. Please remember that we are working on the phonics skill, and not just memorization of a few words.

    Basic practice: 

    Look at the word

    Say the word and each letter

    Close eyes and spell the word out loud

    Cover the word and write it from memory

    Check for correct spelling

    Sort by:

    Beginning sound - either one sound or a blend, like "st". One sort would be all of the words that start with "b", or "s", or "st", or "bl"

    Ending pattern 

    Number of letters in a word

    Vowels (all words with a, e, i, o, or u) 

    Find the words in a book (some, maybe not all)

    By number of vowels; number of consonants

    Sticky Note Stick Up: Purchase some Super Sticky Notes by Post It. Choose 2 different colors and write all the consonant letters in one color and all the vowel letters in the other color. Stick them to a sliding glass door, window, or mirror. Have your child practice spelling their words using the sticky notes!

    Rainbow Writing: Using different colors, write each spelling word. You will have a "rainbow" of colors.

    Shape Writing: With your pencil, draw the shape of your word and then write the word over and over 

    again to cover the shape. (Example: If your word is "hat", draw a simple hat and then write h-a-t over and over until it is covered.)

    Memory: Make two sets of words on cards and play Memory. Place mixed-up cards face down and 

    take turns trying to get a match.

    Guess My Word: Draw blank spaces or boxes, one for each letter of a word. Guess letters and try to make the word in as few guesses as possible. Try with each word.

    Spell out loud: Say, spell, say the words in different ways: fast, slow, whisper, sing, echo, chant, giggle, cheer, exploding . . .

    Alphabetize: This is great practice for the benchmark assessments and the state test.

    More Ideas:

    Write each word and circle the vowels (a, e, i, o, u).

    Write each word and circle the consonants.

    Find a synonym (similar word) for each word (if there is one).

    Find an antonym (opposite word) for each word (if there is one).

    Draw a picture and "hide" the words in the picture.

    Write a story using most of your words.

    Make a cartoon using the words.