Spelling Word Practice Tips
5 Activities to Help Students Who Struggle with Spelling
Fun, meaningful activities for successful spelling lesson practice that can be used with kids with learning disabilities!
Students with learning disabilities, or those who struggle with reading, can often find spelling a challenge. Even those who aced reading may still have nightmares about spelling tests. Spelling tests used to require rote memorization of ten words each week with a test on Friday. Studying for spelling tests meant writing every word ten times each. Thankfully those days are gone! We now know that repetitive writing does not give the brain a chance to make sense of and categorize a new word. Long-term memorization occurs when students interact with words in a variety of ways.
Use the following interactive activities to spice up spelling and increase student success!
1. Word Detective
After spelling words are introduced to students invite them to become detectives. Arm them with highlighter tape (found at teacher supply stores) and a pretend magnifying glass. Tell them they need to sleuth out all of the spelling words they can find as they read. Choose books you have previewed for spelling words and instruct them to put highlighting tape over each word. Review the words found and help identify any they have missed. Award “Good Detective” badges to increase motivation.
2. Word Walls
Designate an area as the Word Wall. It can be a wall, a door painted with magnetic paint, a bulletin board, a file folder, etc. Affix the letters of the alphabet leaving space underneath each one. Have students add their spelling word under the appropriate letter. Display for reference in writing or reading. Play game with the words daily such as, clapping for each letter while spelling all the “A” words.
3. Shaving Cream
Spray a dollop of shaving cream on each desk or table. Have the students smooth it out with their hands. Then as spelling words are called out or used in a sentence each student can use their finger to write the word. Any mistakes can be smoothed out and written again. After writing the word they can draw a picture in the shaving cream to represent the word. Shaving cream is a fun, kinesthetic way to practice spelling and an easy way to clean desks!
4. Sand
Have the students write a sentences or a paragraph using their spelling words. Then have them trace each spelling word in glue and sprinkle sand over it. As they reread the story have them use their index fingers to trace the spelling words. They can then cut out the words into cards and quiz themselves with their eyes closed. Their fingers “read” as their brain processes each word in a new way.
5. Word Sorts
Make a set of word cards for each student. The word cards include all of the current spelling words and words from previous lists that may be similar. The students then sort, or group, the words into categories. The categories can be selected by the teacher or created by the students. Examples of categories might be words with the same vowel sound, rhyming words, or words with the same ending.
These spelling activities are fun for practice, but also can serve as great informal assessments. How much more exciting would spelling tests be in shaving cream or in sand? Thinking outside of the box will help your students achieve spelling success!
Read Spelling Activities for more creative spelling practice ideas.
