Five Ways to Practice Spelling Words with a Child

Learning to spell combines a child's ability to memorize with the practical application of phonetic principles. Some words, however, may be more difficult to spell than others, whether they are sight words or those that do not follow typical word patterns.

It often takes practice to master the spelling of unusual or unfamiliar words. As a parent or a teacher, if you regularly help a child practice a list of spelling words, here are a few ideas that might make the process more enjoyable.

1. Write individual alphabet letters on 3x5 note cards. Hand your child the letters that make up one of his spelling words and have him arrange them in the proper order. To make it slightly more difficult, include an extra letter that he has to exclude from the word.

2. List the spelling words on a piece of paper, leaving a blank where the vowels should be. Have your child use a marker or special pen to fill in the blanks and spell the word correctly.

3. Spell the word out loud, alternating with your child in saying the next letter.

4. Write each of the spelling words on a 3x5 note card. Divide them into two piles, one for you and one for your child. Each of you should hold your cards in your hand, facing them away from the other person. Tell your child one of the words on the cards you are holding; if he can spell it correctly, he gets the card. He then calls out one of his words for you to spell. See who can collect the most cards. (You can purposely misspell a few words and see if he catches your mistake. If so, allow him to correct you and keep the card.)

5. Write one of the spelling words on a small white board or chalk board. Have your child look at the word and spell it, then let him erase one letter at a time, correctly spelling the word after each erasure.

Use your imagination to turn spelling practice into a game of any sort. It will be much more fun than simply repeating the same words and letters over and over again.