Every teacher knows that spelling can be a challenge for students. The English language is full of unusual rules and peculiar words that do not seem to follow any rule at all. The orthography of it can be mind-boggling (and fascinating all at once)! When it is time to introduce new spelling words, try one of the five fun ways below to help your students remember how to spell their weekly words.
Teach Spelling with Movement
Move It!
Putting movement to spelling words is a great way to involve the whole body. Many alternative spelling techniques have students touch their arms at different intervals to reinforce letter order. Use a proven method or create your own tapping to help your students.
Textures
Just as preschool students learn their letters by using a variety of substances to write in, so too can your older students learn their spelling words. Shaving cream, sand, dry erase boards, and paint can all give your students the reinforcement they need. Think outside the box!
Rap Attack
Your students may not remember last week’s spelling words, but chances are they remember the lyrics to their favorite songs. Instead of using a monotone voice to go over new words each week, rap them – complete with spelling each words out! You may even catch your students humming or singing the words under their breath throughout the day.
Charades
Much like moving their arms to tap out spelling words, charades gets students’ whole bodies involved. Make up clever movements for each word on the weekly list and have students practice them throughout the week. For the word “row” you could do a rowing motion as you say each letter. Action words are great for this!
Graffiti Wall
Hang up a plain sheet of butcher paper (or use brown paper bags from the grocery store that you have cut open) and have students practice writing their spelling words on the wall. The paper can be easily taken down before the weekly test, but it will make an excellent learning center during the week. Have a basket of colorful markers, pencils, or crayons available for students to use.
Learning spelling words can be challenging, but with some outside the box thinking your students can really get into the spirit of spelling. Share your favorite spelling strategies with us below! We would love to know how you inspire your students to excel in spelling.
Sarah Carper says
These ideas are so fun. When I was doing one of my practical experiences in college, I was in a kindergarten classroom and the teacher gave the students a paint brush and a jar filled with water. The students painted with water on the chalkboard. They enjoyed doing it, and when it dried, you didn’t have to clean the board!
Cassandra says
I love these! I do some of these all ready, but I think I might need to rap and bust out the shaving cream. I think my kindergarten kids would love it!
Karen Greenberg says
I recently had a discussion with the 5th grade class I work with. They are always “forgetting” to do their spelling homework or just plain refuse to do it. I asked them why, and they told me how boring it was. We had a discussion about some of the ideas above, and they were very excited. Another texture idea we came up with was to fill a water bottle and spray the word onto the sidewalk. Here in Arizona, for most months out of the year, the sidewalk dries fast enough to do the next word in the exact same spot.
Kathy says
I tell my kids to practice them in the bathtub. Ask mom or dad to spray shaving cream on the wall of the shower and write your words there! This is for first graders and kindergarteners. Others may enjoy it too!
Crystal F. says
This is great. I am a new teacher and am always looking for new ideas for spelling and writing.
Ellen says
My kids love using plasticine (hope I spelled it correctly) snakes to “make” their spelling words. Hangman is another of their favorites.
Kristal says
I love these!
Brenda says
I am a Kindergarten teacher too. I have my students stamp the sight words to help them learn to read and spell the words. I have them trace and write them too. It really has helped them become more proficient in their learning!
JWagner says
Sand or paint in a baggie works well for letters/spelling, too!
Leslee Reese says
I’m not a teacher or anything but those are so really great ideas. My sister is in the forth grade and hates having to her spelling words. I thinl that the “rap” it will really help her if I could get to comprehend what I’m trying to get her to do. Hope it works:D
Hope says
I absolutely love the idea of the grafiti wall. I know that many of my students have seen grafiti in the neighborhood so this could be a fun way for the kids to be artistic and yet still be practicing their words and most likely remembering them better.
Angie A says
I love these ideas! I am always looking for new things to try. In my second grade classroom, we use a game called sparkle to study our spelling words. The kids stand up in a cirlce and start spelling out the words by each saying one letter of the word. When the last person says the last letter, the next person says SPARKLE and the following person has to sit down. We play until there is only person left.
Kristin Cook says
even using ABC stickers and playdough cookie cutters work for those students with fine motor needs!
Colleen says
I love the shaving cream idea! That would be fun for my 2nd graders. I currently use rubber stamps, magnets, wikki stix, dry erase markers, and the Promethean board for spelling activities but it would be great to add more variety.
Sanya says
We play “hide and seek”. I have all the spelling words on index cards and hide them around the room. Students walk around with their clipboard to find the words and write them down. I’ve used this method for numerous things other than spelling and my Kindergartners love it.
Caroline says
Thank you for the article, i love making words! What a fantastic activity to get kids to understand how words are spelled, especially longer words.
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Caroline says
I like your post…All teachers have to plan this lesson to teach properly, everyone has a purity to teach best to best and they want to look apps for how kids are quick learn all lessons.
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