S-P-E-L-L spells spell!

Last week Abby got on the "challenge list" for her spelling, and boy are these words hard!  For example, this week's words are shadow, shield, shoulder, squash, anguish, unleash, tornado, afford, be, and try. Yikes! On the other list, we could practice them 1x or 2x a week and she'd be fine, but these require MUCH more focus, which I guess is a good thing for her.  I have been researching other fun ways to practice spelling words and want to share my list with you all that have kids with spelling words, or soon to have some! Abby has a spelling menu she has to choose from weekly, a few of these ideas, I got from there.

The key to getting a 100% on spelling is to practice them at home, A LOT!  I know when I was teaching, I didn't do too much isolated spelling practice, besides a center or two, so I know the importance of studying at home!

Two tricks I use with Abby is to always keep a list in the car so that we can practice every time we go someplace.  This way, she's getting more exposure.  Also, I'll write the more difficult words on the bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker.  Every time she goes in there, I tell her to spell them to herself.

Here are some other fun ways to practice:
1. Play "roll and spell": use a dice and each number corresponds to a way to write the words.  There are endless ways to do this, but two that Abby likes are "Rainbow words" where each number corresponds to a different color (i.e roll a one, write the word in red, roll a two, write the word in orange...and so on) and this way: 1- write the words with your opposite hand, 2- write the word fast, 3- write the word with your eyes closed, 4- write your words the "fancy nancy" way, 5- write the word in all caps, 6- write the word with teeny letters.
2. Write the words with rainbow letters
3. Write the words 3x, BIG, medium, and small
4. Write the words on a white board
5. Use play dough, pipe cleaners, or yarn to make your words (one piece per letter)
6. Use letter stamps
7. Type the words on the computer
8. Pour sugar, salt or shaving cream on a tray and write the words in that (fun and messy)
9. Use chalk outside to write the words
10. Use letter tiles or magnet letters.
11. Paint your words
12. "Hidden Words"-write your words with a white crayon on white paper and then water color paint over them it make the words appear.
13. Cut and paste letters from magazines to spell your words.
14. Draw a flower with a petal for each letter of the word.
15. Make ABC rocks and spell your words
16. Make ABC clothespins and spell your words by clipping them on a "line" or on an index card.
17. Use scrabble tiles to spell your words.
18. Make a free word search using your words.
19. Have mom or dad mix up the letters and the kid has to unscramble them.
20.  On paper or a white board, mom or dad writes the word a bunch of times with one ONE being correct, the child has to circle the correct spelling.  Write it more times for older kids, less for younger.
21. Use spellingcity.com to practice them online.
22.  We downloaded the "super speller" app on the ipad.  You type the words and also say them, recording your voice.  There are 4 different ways to "practice" and then an option to take a test.
23. Bounce a ball outside while spelling your words, one bounce per letter.
24.  Set a timer, see how many times you can write your words in 3 minutes.
25. Write your words in silly sentences.
26. Make a picture and "hide" your words in the picture.
27. Write your words and circle all the vowels.
28. Put your words in ABC order
29. Write your words with your finger on your parents back. (this one is HARD, Abby and I can never tell what each other is writing, lol)
30. Take a written practice test. Remember to correct any unnecessary uppercase letters, if that's an expectation for your child.  Abby will be marked wrong if she does this so we are very vigilant on this.

Good luck "spicing it up" with your kid's spelling routine!!
May you all be blessed with happy spellers :)