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Does your child have trouble spelling? Do they misspell their spelling words a week after they have aced the test? Have they labeled themselves a “bad speller?” Unfortunately, spelling education has gotten noticeably worse over the past several decades. While spelling was once taught as the foundation for reading, it is now regarded as a separate subject.

Spelling, reading, and writing make up the whole of literacy. Hauerwas and Walker (2004) show us that children learn to spell best through familiarity with words. Simply writing the words down in a list on paper is a useless exercise that merely teaches the child to write the words down in a list on paper.

To truly internalize the correct spelling of a word, a child needs to understand why it is spelled that way. You can help by sorting words into groups with your child.

Each word can be broken down into syllables, and then the two of you can look for syllables that appear in more than one word. Keep a journal of spelling words so you can compare this week's words to previous lists.

The child can write stories or poems that use the weekly spellings words. Using the words in something other than a list helps your child understand them better. This makes them much more likely to use those words in their writing later.

Nakata (2000) has a variety of helpful activities that help you and your child play with their spelling words. The multi-sensory approach helps your child become familiar with the words in many different situations. This allows their brain to really process the correct spelling and recognize misspelling later.

Some children enjoy hunting for spelling words in books and magazines. The two of you can each take a book and race to see who can find a spelling word first. You might also offer a weekly bounty for spelling words, and pay your child a few cents each time they spot a weekly spelling word. This will increase the child's interest in looking at signs, restaurant menus, and anything else with words on it.

Some children enjoy writing their words in very large letters in sidewalk chalk. Another fun activity requires a thin layer of whipped cream on a baking sheet. The child can write their words with their fingers, and then smooth the cream out for the next word. Refrigerator magnets, glitter glue, and pipe cleaners are other fun ways for children to make words.

The more your child enjoys using their spelling words, the better he or she will learn them.

REFERENCES

Hauerwas, L, Walker, J, 2004, What Can Children's Spelling of Running and Jumped Tell Us About Their Need for Spelling Instruction? The Reading Teacher, vol 58(2), pp 168–176.

Nakata, J, 2000, Spelling Made Fun, Highlights for Children, vol 55, I 10 p 5.