How You Can Help Your Child Improve Their Spelling

Published:
August 2, 2019

Contributor:
Jeannette Tuionetoa

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I remember spelling from childhood; there was only one way we learned {or didn’t learn} our spelling words. We knew what to expect, and we either learned how to spell the words or we moved on anyway. I really didn’t know there was another way, but thank goodness we can explore different ways of teaching spelling in our homeschools. There are ways you can help your child improve their spelling, and some ideas are even FUN! Yes – fun.

How Can You Help Your Child Improve Their Spelling text with image of a hand using a pencil to take notes

I remember there were maybe 10 – 20 words. We had to write them three times each, write them in a sentence, and write their meaning. On Fridays, the teachers had us take out a pen and paper, and number the paper from 1 – 10 or 20. She would proceed to walk around the room and say something like this:

Gradually.

My situation gradually improved once I began to study.

Gradually.

Are you with me? Was that your spelling life in school or what? Maybe some of us made it to spelling bees where we learned to compete, but other than the occasional pass to the spelling bee, that was the extent of it.

Our spelling grades relied on this process every week. There HAD to be a better way. Right?! Dare we make spelling something fun?

Yes, there is and yes, we can. Learning to spell helps us to communicate, spelling helps us understand, and spelling allows us to articulate ourselves. Spelling builds our knowledge base to read, write, and learn new things.

We might as well make that crucial skill engaging so kids can actually improve instead of memorizing and dropping the information immediately after an exam.

The old ways of learning to spell were not in any means wrong. We inevitably practice the words traditionally. We write, read, say them out loud, we test our knowledge, but adding a few activities to help kids remember and retain the spelling words can make a world of difference.

Check out this open and go spelling curriculum to easily teach spelling in your homeschool:

Daily Skill Building: Spelling is a companion to Daily Skill Building: Vocabulary. This full spelling curriculum weaves in a review of the vocabulary terms for a complete, well-rounded word-usage curriculum. Your student can learn to spell the vocabulary words AND their corresponding antonyms and synonyms.

vocabulary and spelling paper work

Daily Skill Building: Spelling broadens your child’s verbal and written skills—PLUS increases your student’s dictionary and thesaurus knowledge. There is NO need for a teacher’s guide. Just like the vocabulary curriculum, Daily Skill Building: Spelling is an easy to use, “open-and-go” resource.

Here are some strategies and games to help your child improve their spelling skills this year:

Help your child improve their spelling with hands-on learning.

Worksheets, written practice, and learning the meanings of words are essential, but try adding some manipulatives to your spelling practice. Hands-on learning helps kids make connections between the patterns that are shared with other words. You can use Scrabble pieces or letters cut in squares to have your child match letters to form their spelling words. 

Help your child improve their spelling by using groups of words they are interested in.

If you are doing a unit study that your child showed interest in, take words from there and generate your spelling list for the week. This allows your child to relate real-world meaning to spelling words, instead of just words that are pulled out of the air.

40 Free Spelling Helps & Printables for Elementary to High School

Help your child improve their spelling by using word walls and word wall folders. 

Use the wall in your homeschool area to organize spelling words alphabetically, so your child can easily view them. Seeing the words on display creates a connection in your child’s memory compared to the spelling words written on a piece of paper. The connections help them remember their spelling words. *Don’t forget to cover up the words if you give your kids weekly spelling tests.

Have your child replicate the word wall in a file folder for the same reason. Exposure to different types of learning resources helps kids reinforce the spelling words and breaks up the routine associated with the same old spelling practice.

Help your child improve their spelling with GAMES! 

Games engage your child’s mind differently than any other lessons can. Your kids can apply knowledge in a way that includes their whole body in sometimes fast-paced activities that keep learning interesting.

Scrabble – Use the board game Scrabble to keep your kids encouraged in learning new words on their own. Keep a dictionary handy and watch them look up words to win the game.

Scrabble Junior GameScrabble Junior GameScrabble GameScrabble Game

 

Word Unscramble – Use a timer, or if you have more than one child, you can have the kids play against each other. Gather up your spelling words, and then write the words on a sheet with all the letters scrambled. For instance, if your word is “grade”, then write the word something like this “dearg”. See how fast all words can be unscrambled and written correctly. A single player can beat their own time; two kids can see who can unscramble the words the fastest. This works well on dry erase boards as well.

Scattegories – The game Scattegories can challenge children to group words into categories, helping them once again make connections between words. 

Scattergories GameScattergories Game

 

Spelling Boom! – Write spelling words onto popsicle sticks or small index cards. Make sure to write the word “Boom” on a few of the sticks or cards. Your child can blindly draw a stick or card and hand it to the  you or another player to read the word. If they spell the word correctly, they get to keep the stick or card. If they answer it incorrectly, then they must put it back into a pile. If the child selects a “Boom” stick or cards, they must put back all of the words that they have collected so far. 

Word Jump – Write a few spelling words on a piece of paper and place them on the floor. The goal is to have your kids see how many words they can jump on correctly when you say the word. For example, you say the word “fox,” and your child would look on the ground and jumps on that word.

Here are a few other games for you to check out:

DREAMT Matching Letter Game, Wooden English Alphabet Card Game Machine, Letter Spelling Game Puzzle Early Educational Toy for Kids 3 Years Old and UpDREAMT Matching Letter Game, Wooden English Alphabet Card Game Machine, Letter Spelling Game Puzzle Early Educational Toy for Kids 3 Years Old and UpBananagrams My First Multi-Award Winning Kids Spelling GameBananagrams My First Multi-Award Winning Kids Spelling GameDaily Word Ladders: Grades 4–6Daily Word Ladders: Grades 4–6: 100 Reproducible Word Study Lessons That Help Kids Boost Reading, Vocabulary, Spelling & Phonics Skills—Independently!Wonster Words: ABC, Phonics, and Spelling for KidsWonster Words: ABC, Phonics, and Spelling for Kids

 

Remember that every child is unique and learns differently. The best way for kids to improve their spelling is through exposure and connections.

If spelling is an increasing struggle for your homeschool child or children, take a step back. Do spelling only a couple of times a week and maybe stretch out the words for two weeks instead of one.

Learning new words to build on your vocabulary is a pretty miraculous thing. In a language where the semantics are pretty tricky (English), learn to take it easy and go at a place that is healthy for your kids. AND – don’t forget to add some fun alongside your lessons.

How You Can Help Your Child Improve Their Spelling