Creative Ways to Help your Kids with Spelling

My son is a good student, but for some reason, he struggles with the subject of spelling. I'm not sure if this is because it is boring to him and he doesn't put forth the effort, or if it is just an area that challenges him. Whatever the reason, it definitely demands our attention. My education background tells me that while being a poor speller will not make or break a career path, schooling will be easier if you learn to spell words correctly. I know plenty of professionals who cannot spell at all and reference a dictionary often.

The more exposure to the spelling words, the better, The weeks that we study only the night before the test, he does not do very well. However, when I have him study and practice the words a little each day, he becomes familiar with them and does much better! It is also easier to do a small amount each day instead of a long time on one evening - trust me. So, I've come up with a list of creative ways to expose your kids to their spelling words so that when they are tested, the correct spelling comes more natural to them. Hopefully the spelling words will migrate to their long term memory instead of leaving right after the test.

Also, it is important to help your child understand certain spelling rules and patterns. You can ask the teacher where you can find this information or search for spelling rules online. Just know that the English language is crazy and there are always exceptions to every rule.

Spelling Study Tip #1: Fill-in the Blank
Take the spelling list and create a fill-in the blank sheet. Be sure to change the order of the words from the original list. You can give them the list to help them figure out what the words are.

Spelling Study Tip #2: Word Scramble
This is a fun word game to play with spelling words. Take each word and write the letters out of order and have your child unscramble them. They can use the spelling list to see what words they are trying to spell.