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Think spelling is a boring subject? Hate getting a weekly list and memorizing the words for the spelling test on Friday? DuBois, Erickson & Jacobs (2007) found that the traditional way of learning to spell doesn't really teach anyone anything.

In fact, these authors found that the more fun you have with your spelling words, the better you learn them. When spelling is boring you don't learn anything.

The best spelling list is the one you make yourself. Look at everything you wrote this week and find all the words you spelled wrong.

If you didn't write very much this week, then you aren't writing enough. Just writing down how you feel about something or making up a story or a superhero is enough to help you learn spelling.

Have someone help you proofread your work, and circle all the words you spelled wrong. This is your spelling list this week.

See if you can sort your words into groups. Do some of them end in -ent or -ing? Do some of them begin with be- or un? Do any of them have ie or ou in the middle? Maybe some of them end in a vowel sound or have a silent e.

Now it's time for some multi-sensory activities. These are things you can do to improve your spelling that involve more than one of your five senses.

Can you make your spelling words by sculpting them out of clay? Can you spell them on the refrigerator with magnet letters? Can you make them up by cutting letters out of old magazines or junk mail? Stamp them out with an ink pad and letter stamps? You can cut letter shapes out of sand paper, or even write your words in shaving cream or finger paint. Try spelling your words out loud. Can you make a song out of some of them?

For bigger kids who need help with spelling, writing a story using your spelling words is a big help. Clever (2008) says making a comic book is even more fun.

Try inventing a superhero or write about something that happened in your life. You can tell a scary story or invent a mystery for your readers to try to solve. Include some or all of your spelling words in your story if you can.

As you make your story better and better, you'll be practicing your spelling words without even noticing and unconsciously improving your spelling skills.

REFERENCES

Clever, S 2008, 'Comics and Graphic Novels,' Scholastic, New York, NY.

DuBois, Erickson, K & Jacobs, M 2007, 'Improving Spelling of High Frequency Words for Transfer in Written Work,' Action Research Project Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the School of Education, Saint Xavier University, Chicago, IL.