How to practice spelling words at home

45 Ways to Practice Spelling Words

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Looking to add some fun to your homeschool day?
Spelling is the perfect chance to do that. With the boring routines of math, social studies and science pushed aside, you can add some jazz to the words on your spelling list, making it more fun for the whole family.
Long gone are the days of writing your spelling words 10 times each, with your boring notebook and pencil. We don’t have to be boring, so why should we? Swap that Number 2 pencil for a squirt gun and practice your spelling words in style.

Adding some fun hands-on activities to practice spelling words will make your little ones look forward to spelling time.

Use a cotton swab and paint to write your spelling words. Bonus points: you likely already have the supplies on-hand.

Dump a large container of salt into a small lidded container and use your finger to practice your words. Older kids will enjoy this same activity using chopsticks instead of their finger.

Whether you choose to roll your Play-doh into a snake and spell out your words or roll it flat and carve them into it, this fun activity will be a hit with kids of all ages. For some extra fun, see who can come up with the most creative way to use Play-Doh to practice spelling words.

Squirt some shaving cream onto a cookie sheet and allow your child to scribe their words. Add some fun with a squirt of food coloring. Use your finger or give them some “tools,” like a spoon or dry spaghetti.

Use Skittles, M&Ms, Smarties, Twizzler Pull’n’Peels or other candy to write your words. The built-in treat encourages the kids to finish quickly so they can eat their words. For healthier options, use carrots, celery or grapes to form words.

Cut strips of construction paper and add one letter to each strip. Mix up the letters and have your child find the letter he needs. Staple the lettered strips together to make a paper chain.

Instead of using numbers on your hopscotch board, write words. The kids must  spell the word on the spot before moving on.

Work together to spell your words. This fun way of spelling will be sure to keep you laughing, too! Once you’ve mastered your list, try Team Gnilleps. We learned this fun game while playing Cranium. Each person says the next letter of a word, starting from the END! It’s much harder than you’d think!

Also known as Gnilleps, this hilarious spell-out-loud game is the perfect way to practice the words that come easy to the child.

Using sidewalk chalk is always fun for kids, so get outside and soak up some sunshine while working on spelling. Once you’re done with your chalk words, kids can trace the letters again by spraying them with the water hose!

Window Writing:

Use markers (NOT Sharpies) to write on the glass panes of your windows. The kiddos will experience a subtle reminder every time they look outside and when it’s time for a new list, they’ll gladly clean your windows for you! 😀

Practice spelling during bath time and the kids will be having too much fun to grumble. By sneaking spelling practice in during an unexpected time, the kids probably won’t even notice. We like to switch between bath tub crayons and paint.

Use the tip of a feather to paint your words on a large sheet of paper. Older kids may enjoy using  their feather as a quill pen while younger kids will get a kick out of swiping it through a pile of paint.

Begin by collecting 26 small, flat rocks. After giving them a thorough wash, allow your child to paint each rock with one letter. Decorate them however they choose. The brighter, the better. Use these rocks to spell out each spelling word. You will likely need more than one of each letter. You’ll certainly need multiple vowels. Once your collection is complete, you’ll have a learning tool that’ll stand the test of time.

Write each letter on a small piece of paper. Encourage your kids to use a clothespin to pick up the letters they need to form a word. Not only will this make spelling more fun, but will also help build their fine motor skills.

Pick up a set of alphabet magnets and allow the kids to practice their spelling lists on the refrigerator! It’s also fun to leave little mesages to each other using these cheap and fun letters.

Bananagrams is a favorite at our house, so we love grabbing the handy bag of letters and using them during spelling practice. Stack the letters in a tower and allow the kids to guess what the spelling word is, using the top tile (and last letter of the word) as their only clue!

Kids love to type and spelling words are the perfect practice for them. Open your computer’s word processor and let them get to work.

Have the kids write their spelling words and assign 10 points to each consonant and 5 points to each vowel.  Add the sum of each word and find the word with the highest amount of points.

Have the kids write their spelling words on white paper with white crayons. Then color over the words with bright water colors and watch your words appear!

Pick up a set of letter stamps and an inkpad. Allow the kids to stamp their words, instead of writing them.

Use lettered beads to spell out your entire list. (Beads are a choking hazard, so please be careful when allowing younger children to use these.)

These bendable sticks are so much fun for kids to use. The best part is that you can reuse them time and time again.

For younger kids, you can write their words on paper and allow them to “trace” them with pipe cleaners. They can bend and shape the pipe cleaners as needed to form each word.

Allow your kids to use bubble letters, cursive and other fun fonts to write their words. It’s easy to learn how to write in creative fonts using books. Plus, you can count it as an art lesson, too!

Draw a picture and “hide” the spelling words in the picture. Add the word “tree” in the trunk of the tree on your photo. The word “car” could be hidden in the wheel of your child’s drawn car.

Use your finger to write the words in the air. Simple, easy, cheap and can be done in the car!

Add some paint to a baggie and seal well. (We like to add duct tape to the opening, to make sure it doesn’t accidentally come open.) Use a Q-Tip to trace your words onto the outside of the baggie. When you run out of room for words, simple mix the paints together and start again.

Bring texture to spelling time by writing your words with yarn, rope or string. Whether you choose to glue them to paper or just arrange them neatly on the table, kids will love the added texture this activity brings.

Write your words in glue, then add glitter for some messy fun that will have mom grumbling about the mess for days! (Hey, neat-freaks! Take this one outside if you must.)

Use Cheez-It Letters to help memorize your spelling words. This activity can be done using alphabet soup, Alphabits cereal, homemade pancakes or even homemade cookies!

Help your child practice spelling words while doing jumping jacks. Find a rhythm and spell the same word 5 times before moving on. Antsy kids will love releasing some energy while completing their work.

Use a paintbrush and water to write your spelling words on construction paper. Work quickly before your work dries up.

Clap along with your little one while they shout out the letters to their spelling words. Sinple and you eon’t need a single item. You can do this one anywhere: the bathtub, car or on your walk to the library!

  Cut out letters from old magazines and arrange them neatly on your paper. If you want, you can glue them to the paper or reuse the letters time and time again.

Looking for a fun way to drill that one pesky word into your child’s mind? Allow them to carve the letters into a bar of soap, using sculpting tools. They’ll have to think about each letter, which helps engrave the spelling into their mind. Save some money by grabbing the small bars of soap from hotels and saving them for this activity.

Encourage the whole family to join in on a game of Hangman. Mix in previous spelling words to make it even more challenging.

Kids love feeling like a grown-up. Hand over your phone and allow them to text their spelling words. You can either delete their work or send it to Grandma. Either way, it’s sure to be a hit!

Use Do-Dot Markers to dab your words onto construction paper. Don’t have Do-Dot Makers? No problem! Bingo daubers work just as well.

Allow your kiddos to practice their spelling words with cheap finger paint. Any reason to get messy makes kids smile! Instead of using construction paper, take the kids outside and let them paint a huge piece of cardboard!

Use a paint brush and a bucket of water to paint on the side of your house. The kids will LOVE it and it’ll dry mess-free.

Write the letters on pieces of paper and dump them on the floor. Spread them out so you can see each letter then have the kids race to see who can stomp on each letter of their spelling words the fastest. (For added fun, use a stopwatch and let them beat their own time.)

Make your own deck of cards with your previous spelling words written on them. Pick 2 or 3 words and have the kids SLAP them, as soon as they get flipped over. This fun take on Slap-Jack will help the kids spot their spelling words quickly.

Sit in a circle and pass a potato. Before you can pass the potato, you have to give the next letter of your word. Spell as many words from your list before time runs out.

Close your eyes and try to write your words without your sight. Another fun idea is to use the opposite hand that you usually write with and see how funny your words look.

With these 45 hands-on ideas to practice spelling words, you can throw your boring ways out the window and enjoy some fun, all while mastering your spelling lists.

10 Hands-on Activities to Help Practice Spelling at Home

For some kids, spelling comes naturally. For others, spelling is an extremely difficult task that is avoided at all costs. It doesn’t have to be that way. These 10 simple activities to practice spelling at home will help your child become a better speller in addition to building their confidence!

*Guest post by Sarah from Stay at Home Educator

10 Activities for Spelling Practice at Home

Remember the days when you were a kid and you would have a spelling list to memorize each week? Maybe you practiced those words by spelling them out loud to a parent, or maybe you wrote each word ten times.

That’s how we used to practice spelling, but those days are gone. Educators are now using more systematic and authentic methods of spelling practice, and parents are looking for better ways to help their child with spelling at home. You still probably get a spelling list to practice each week, but rote memorization is never effective.

1. Spelling Memory – Write two sets of spelling words on small index cards and play a game of memory. When a card is turned over, read the word, spell it, and read it again.
2. Spelling Swat – Using the same set of flashcards from the activity above. Lay out one set on the table or floor so the words can be seen. Use the other set as a draw pile. Draw a card. Read the word, spell it, then find the matching word on the table. Slap the matching word on the table. Read the word, spell it, then read it again.
3. Wordo – This is an old game that is played just like Bingo, but with full words instead of letters and numbers. Again, if the word is on the Wordo card, read it, spell it, and read it again.
4. Rainbow Writing – Spell each word multiple times using a different color of the rainbow each time.
5. Around the Room Spelling Hunt – Using the two sets of flashcards from the first activity, place one set of spelling flashcards around the room and keep the other set for a draw pile. Draw a spelling flashcard, read it, and spell it. Read it again, then search for the matching word in the room.
6. Stamp It Out – Rather than writing out spelling words multiple times, use alphabet stamps instead. (Or letter manipulatives work well, too.) The key here is to practice one word several times in a row.
7. Spell by Syllables – For longer words, practice spelling by spelling by syllables. For example, the word elephant would be broken down into el-e-phant, spelling just one syllable at a time.
8. Spelling Word Sorts – This is an excellent activity for spelling lists where all the words focus on a single spelling sound, but different spellings. Sort the words according to how that focus sound is spelled. For example, if the sound is long a spelled -eigh and -ai, then the words sleigh and weight would be put into a different group from snail and aim.
9. Word Scramble – This is an oldie, but still an effective way to practice spelling. Use letter manipulatives to spell a word from the spelling list, copying it if need be. Then, scramble the letters up and try to re-spell the word without looking at the spelling list for help.
10. Sensory Words – Use a sensory material to write out spelling words. Shaving cream, salt, play dough, and cookie sprinkles are all super fun.

Additional Tips for Spelling Practice at Home

Of course, spelling practice should always be supervised. This will ensure that your child is getting the most out of an activity as well as practicing the word correctly! Set aside some time every evening to do a quick spelling practice. Even if it’s just ten minutes.

If your child is overwhelmed by the number of words to practice, then break the list into chunks and practice only a few at a time. And always keep some easier words to mix with the difficult words. You don’t want your child to feel defeated and lose confidence by making the list too difficult during spelling practice.

Then be sure you request your invite so that you can be the first to hear when the doors open again for our Print and Play Club!

With instant access to hundreds of printables by topic and skill (no more scouring the internet!), every TKC resource, a digital games vault, “Super” Sunday Surprises, and much more – your planning time just got easier.

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Sarah

Sarah is an educator turned stay at home mother of four. She has taught a wide range of levels, from preschool to college. She blogs at Stay At Home Educator, a website dedicated to providing creative activities and tools for teaching in early childhood. She loves Krav Maga, mountain biking, and cooking. See more over on Stay at Home Educator.

Latest posts by Sarah (see all)

About Sarah

Sarah is an educator turned stay at home mother of four. She has taught a wide range of levels, from preschool to college. She blogs at Stay At Home Educator, a website dedicated to providing creative activities and tools for teaching in early childhood. She loves Krav Maga, mountain biking, and cooking. See more over on Stay at Home Educator.

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7 effective ways to memorize words in English

When learning a foreign language, it is very important to constantly replenish your vocabulary - to learn new and new words. However, not everyone succeeds in doing this. We offer eleven tips to help you memorize new words in English more effectively.

You can start with a video from Tanya Starikova in which she shares how she manages to learn English words:

Language is a tool people use to express themselves. Therefore, each word is valuable not in itself, but in the context.

Don't learn English words in a vacuum. If you come across an unfamiliar word and decide to remember it, write down the context in which it was used. For example, the English word ajar (ajar) is easier to learn as part of the phrase "the windows were ajar" ("windows were ajar") than separately.

You can find ready-made examples of the use of the English word you are interested in in online services such as Reverso, PlayPhrase or Yandex.Translate. Also, practice making sentences with new words on your own. For example, you need to remember the verb to prefer (prefer). Make up some examples that will reveal the meaning of this verb.

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Take a lesson, learn about the school and get a promotional code for English classes

Draw small pictures to remember the meaning of an English word. It’s not scary if you can’t draw: our brain receives so much monotonous information that a strange picture is a kind of surprise, and we always remember surprises.

If you don't feel like drawing on your own, pick up a ready-made illustration for a new word in Google. It is better if the image is bright, strange or funny - this way it will be remembered more reliably.

You can collect word + image pairs in electronic form, but it is better in the form of paper cards. To test yourself, look at the side with the picture and try to remember what English word it stands for.

If you already have a basic vocabulary, practice finding synonyms and antonyms for new English words. This will not only help them learn, but also come in handy in communication: if you do forget a word, you can easily find a replacement for it.

For example, you need to learn the word irreverent (irreverent, disrespectful), and you already know the word with the same meaning disrespectful . It remains to pick up antonyms: "respectful" - "respectful" and "polite" - "polite". In conjunction with synonyms and antonyms, a new English word will be easier to remember.

Let's take the English root -respect- , which we have already considered in the previous example. Noun respect means respect. Now let's look in the dictionary for other words formed from the same root:

Thus, instead of one word, you learned several at once, and their meanings are interconnected, which will help to learn them.

To learn several unrelated words at once, combine them into a story. Memorizing a short story is easier than a bunch of random words because the story has a plot and can be recreated in the imagination.

Let's fantasize and make up a story with five random English words:

From these words we got the following story:

It's not scary if the story comes out strange or even absurd, because the unusual is remembered better.

Our brain takes what we read and transforms it into images, ideas and feelings, and then forms connections between new information and what we already know. This is how memorization happens - the new unites with the old. When you connect a new English word with something you already know, it's easier for your brain to find it and remember it at the right moment.

Draw a network of concepts. Take what you want to remember (word, idea, sentence) and write it in the center of the paper. Then draw lines from it in all directions, like a web.

At the end of each line, write down any English words or pictures that come to mind when you think of the word in the center. It doesn't matter what the associations are, just write down whatever you come up with.

It will only take a couple of minutes, and now all the words or concepts will be interconnected in your brain. If you see or hear one of them, it will be easier for you to remember the others.

Sometimes remembering a new English word doesn't work, and none of the above methods helps. Then mnemonics will come to the rescue - a way of remembering through associations.

Let's say you have trouble learning the English word " eagle " ("eagle"). You can use a mnemonic hint with a consonant Russian word: "Eagle's claws are ten needles ".

To memorize word tire (tire), you can mentally associate it with the consonant English word tired (tired): “Dad is tired, he’s been pumping up the tires”