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Spelling Practice Unit

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In the video Chantal and Cynthia introduce some different spelling activities that you'll find on our activity page that you can do with your son or daughter.   As they say on the video, "Keep it fun!". By keeping the activities fun, you'll engage your child's interest and this will enhance the learning.


Lots and Lots of Spelling Activities

There are many ways for your son to practice his spelling words we have listed quite a few of our favorites, or we should say, our students' favorites.   Finding what method works best for your son can be an adventure in itself. Depending on your son's learning style, he may need to hear his words, see them or move while practicing in order to successfully retain them.  To get the full benefit of practicing his words, have your son say the letters as he is practicing writing them.  When he combines an auditory, kinesthetic or a visual activity together while practicing, your son will be totally engaged in the activity and he will have a much better chance of mastering the words.

Although these ideas can be used with any spelling list, including selected words from your son's own writing or words that he currently uses and would like to know how to spell will individualize his list.  So incorporate words your son wants to learn in the games and activities and it will help make the spelling list more relevant. 

If you and your son find another suggestion for practicing spelling – let us know, we'll be happy to put it on the web site.   Also send us pictures of your son doing the activities so we can share your son's successes with others!


Ways to Get Started


Prerequisite for All Spelling Lessons:

Your son will need to know his letters and an understanding of individual letter sounds in order to be interested and successful in spelling.  He will build on his understanding of letter sounds in order to learn the various "rules" that are part of the English language.  The English language is a mixture of many languages, which makes our language colorful but it also makes it much more complicated to learn. 


Things to Consider:

Choosing a fun and different way to practice the spelling words will help your son be engaged in his own learning and he'll have an easier time learning his spelling words. Incorporating the 3 learning styles while he is practicing will increase the likelihood that he will retain the spelling of each word.

  • Look through the list of ideas together and let your son select 2 – 3 different suggestions to start with.
  • When you choose an activity and before he begins to practice, let him play with the items if they are new to him (like play dough, a tape recorder, etc.) for a few minutes otherwise he will be thinking about it and become distracted when his focus is supposed to be on the letters that make up each word.
  • When he practices, try to limit the amount of other distractions that may be around him.
  • Have him say each letter as he is writing it.
  • Have him practice each word 3 times each day.
  • Try to practice a little every day for a few minutes rather then trying to do it repeatedly the night before the test.
  • When he does practice, have him select a different way to practice every day. He may like shaving cream, for example, but if he does it every day it will no longer be unique and fun, it will become boring – exactly what you are trying to avoid!

Suggested ways to Make Cards for the Activities:

  • Have him write each of his spelling words, one word per card on 3"x5" index cards or recycled business cards, that will be called group A cards and again much larger on 8 ½ "x11" piece of paper, that will be called group B cards.
  • As he writes out his words, double check that the words are written correctly – the last thing you want is for your son to be practicing the word the wrong way.
  • Group A cards (on 3"x5" cards or recycled business cards):
    • one word per card
    • have you son write his spelling words on the back of old business cards or 3"x5" cards and to add more flare to the card see the activity Fabulous Face Flashcards.
  • Group B cards (on 8 ½"x 11" paper)
    • one word per page
    • the words in group B need to be written larger so your son can comfortably trace them with his finger, when he covers them with sand or shaving cream. You may choose to slide the 8 ½"x11" paper into a plastic sheet protector so the word won't get wet and can be used throughout the week.
  • Some fun choices when creating the cards, have him:
    • write his words is with his favorite color marker
    • or select a new color for each word
    • group B cards could be typed
      • make the font large enough to fill the page in landscape orientation
      • change to a different color for each word is always fun for children, although I would suggest sticking with a simple font. Some fonts are fun but may take away from the learning of the words. You want him to focus on the outcome not how cool the font is!

    As he is preparing for the fun ways to practice his spelling words by writing them out, he is practicing! (Sh-h-h don't tell him!)

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Assessment (informal or formal)

Informal Assessments:

By watching your son, you will see if he is getting frustrated or which words are difficult for him to remember.   If he is getting frustrated with a particular activity, change it or adapt it to better fit his needs or put it away and try something else.  When words are repeatedly misspelled, have your son make an extra card for that word so he can practice it more often. You may want him to carry just that word around in his pocket and every hour have him pull it out and say the word out loud, and spell it to himself or an adult.  Focusing his attention on one word and looking at it throughout the day will help him focus his attention for short bursts of time.

Formal Assessment:

To do a more formal spelling assessment, you can check out the book "Words Their Way" and use the Feature Guide for Primary Spelling Inventory found in their appendix.  The inventory breaks each word down into the sounds and skills that your son needs in order to spell the words correctly. It is an effective tool to use when you're not exactly sure what skills or letter sound combinations that your son is having difficulty with.

January 29, 2009

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