Kindergarten Spelling Lessons: Six Fun Ways to Learn New Words

Kindergarten should be fun as well as educational. One Fishers Indiana public school has found a way to combine the two in interesting and entertaining spelling lessons. This week, my favorite kindergartner, Meghan, brought home spelling work sheets with several activities all involving the words "a," "the" and "I." Meghan has good reading comprehension for her age, can read simple words, and spell many of them too. So, it's a relief to know that she too can enjoy these spelling exercises even though she already knows the words.

Rainbow Spelling Words for Colorful Kindergartners.

First, Meghan got out her crayons and brought them to the kitchen breakfast bar which is where she studies. Then she wrote the words on separate pieces of paper. Her task was to turn the words into rainbow letters by outlining them in one bright color, then outlining the outline in another color, and on and on. This was fun for a brief period then seemed repetitive and not very challenging. Maybe with wide point markers for bolder, brighter colors, it would have more impact.

Tickle Writer Spelling Words.

Next, Meghan wrote all the spelling words with one finger. On my back! I guessed them all correctly, because I'm so brilliant. Then I wrote them on her back. That turned out to be quite a giggle, because Meghan is ticklish. We called this tickle writing. And Meghan guessed every one of them of course. Good thing the words weren't any longer; kindergartners don't have very broad backs! These particular words were not too hard to guess, since only one of them had more than one letter.

Flash Card Spelling Words. (Yawn.)

On the last page of Meghan's work sheets, the words were written on six squares, so there were two squares for each word. Meghan cut them out with some help and then she had six separate word squares. We used them as flash cards, as Meghan read each word out loud and spelled it. This was so easy Meghan was ready to move on.

Jump and Hop Spelling Words for Lively Kindergartners.

Next we threw the six flash squares on the floor in random order. When I or Meghan's big sister Annie shouted out a word, Meghan had to jump on the square with the correct word on it, and then hop to the matching square of the same word. (The hopping part was Annie's idea. Then she decided she would tickle-write the word on Meghan's back rather than shout it, and then Meghan would jump and hop.) This turned the activity into a great game.

Memory Match Spelling Words.

We turned the squares upside down, each picking a square and trying to match it. It took about 60 seconds to find the pairs, with so few words to match. About two turns each, then end of game. With more words, it would be more challenging.

Pantry-Peeking Spelling Words For Monkeys and Other Kindergartners. .

This was a big hit, because Meghan is basically a little monkey. She was told to peek at the cans and packages on shelves in the pantry and find the three spelling words, "the," "a" and "I." Of course, the assumption was that she would be checking out the eye level shelves. But no, in two seconds, she had climbed the shelves, and was reading labels on the top shelf while standing on the third one. Fortunately she found lots of "the's" and "a's" on labels and ingredient lists right away, and was helped safely to floor level. There were no stand alone "I's" but many capital "I's" in the word "Ingredients" on labels.

Kindergarten spelling lessons involving bright colors, jumps, hops, giggles, and climbing are a surefire way to make spelling a kindergartner's favorite time at school. Except maybe snack time.

Source:

Cumberland Road Elementary School Kindergarten Work Sheets,
Fishers, Indiana