The Good and the Beautiful curriculum receives rave reviews for its spelling program, which is integrated right into our language arts lessons. Try these unique active spelling practice ideas when a child needs extra time or motivating encouragement to master certain words.
Active Spelling Practice Ideas
1. Spell the words out loud while trying to keep a balloon in the air, tapping it upward with each letter.
2. Jump across the room or the lawn. For each spelling word that is correct, the child may take one jump. If you have multiple children, see who can make it to the other end first.
3. Write the words in the air using a feather.
4. Use sign language to sign each letter of a spelling word. This may be slow at first, but the child will become proficient in signing letters by the end of the year.
5. Without making any sound, mouth each letter to a friend and see if he or she can guess the word.
6. Hold an exercise pose while spelling each word.
7. Say each letter and then spin around once. Take a bow after you end each word.
8. See how many words you can spell while standing on one foot. Switch feet and try to spell more!
9. Have the child do jumping jacks, sit-ups, lunges, squats, or other movements as he or she says each letter.
10. Tape letters around the room in alphabetical order. Have the child run and touch each letter as he or she spells out the word.
11. Stand in a martial arts stance and punch with each hand alternately while saying the letters. End each word with a kick.
12. Write the spelling word with your finger on the palm of your other hand.
13. Lay on your back. Lift a leg for each letter you spell.
14. Climb up and down stairs by saying one letter of a word for each stair you climb.
15. Spell out the word with your finger on someone’s hand or back. Does he or she know what you are spelling?
Practice Spelling Through Play
16. Use blocks or LEGO™. Each time the child spells a word correctly, he or she receives a certain number of blocks or LEGO™ (3–5). After practice is done, the child may use the blocks won to build something.
17. Create a block tower. For each correct word, the child gets a block to add to a tower. See how high the tower can be built before it falls. With multiple children, each child creates a separate tower, or they may all add to the same one.
18. Write the words on colored dot stickers and place them on a stuffed animal.
19. Have a spelling bee for an audience of stuffed animals or toys.
20. Put together a puzzle. Let the child put one piece in place when he or she spells a word correctly.
21. Use your finger to write words in sand or on a cookie sheet with flour, salt, or sugar.
22. Hold up a word in a mirror’s reflection and have the child try to guess what it is.
23. Use a timer to see how fast you can spell, written or out loud. See if you can improve your time later in the week.
24. Play “Sparkle.” Take turns with the child, or in a group, saying the next letter of a word. When complete, the last person says, “Sparkle!” (or whatever word you choose).
25. Pass a ball back and forth, saying one letter each time you throw the ball.
26. Get together with friends of the same age and have a small spelling bee.
Take Spelling Practice Outdoors
27. Take a walk as a family. Every time you pass a tree, dog, house, fire hydrant, etc., stop and spell one of your words.
28. Use a jump rope while spelling, saying a letter each time you jump.
29. Use sidewalk chalk to write spelling words on the sidewalk or driveway.
30. While driving, have your child find letters on traffic or street signs or license plates to create words.
31. Blow bubbles each time a spelling word is spelled correctly.
32. Shoot a basketball or kick a ball into a goal each time you spell a word correctly.
33. Hop on one foot while spelling words. See how long you can spell before you fall! When you fall, start with the next word on the opposite foot.
34. Spell each word while driving in the car.
35. Practice spelling words while going on a walk. See if you can find things in nature that begin with the same letter as your spelling word.
36. Write spelling words in sand or dirt with a stick, feather, or anything else you find outside.
37. While swinging, have the child say each letter as he or she swings forward.
38. Spelling on wheels: have the child ride his or her bike, scooter, skateboard, rollerblades, or other wheels up and down the sidewalk or driveway. Each time the child reaches you, have him or her spell a word before continuing.
39. Lay on a blanket and look at the clouds or stars. Spell each word while looking for patterns in the sky.
You may also like these fun spelling resources. . .
Traditional Spelling Practice with a Fun Twist
40. Write each spelling word several times on a balloon and then pop it.
41. Record yourself saying and spelling your words. Play it back.
42. Type the words on a computer using a fun font and color.
43. Write the words on a whiteboard, and then spell each word out loud, erasing each letter as you say it.
44. Write spelling words on index cards. If you have multiple children, consider having the children quiz each other.
45. Write spelling words on a big whiteboard or on individual whiteboards.
46. Use water to paint spelling words on construction paper.
47. Write the list of words in alphabetical order and reverse alphabetical order.
48. Use a fun pen with lots of colors to make a word in a rainbow.
49. Write the words on sticky notes and have a child hide the words around the room. You, another child, or the whole family can go on a search to find them!
50. Spell each word backward.
51. Use liquid glue to spell words. It will dry “raised” and look neat too.
52. Sing in the shower: Spell each word while in the bath or shower!
53. Write a silly poem using each spelling word.
54. See how many times you can write your words in one minute.
55. Fold a sheet of paper in fourths (fold it twice), write one word in each square, and decorate. Bonus: Cut the squares to use them as flashcards.
56. Write words with a white crayon and then watercolor paint over the top to reveal the word.
57. Have a pretend spelling bee for your family or friends. Use a water bottle for a microphone, and don’t forget to clap!
58. Copy each word, cover the word, write it again, and check.
59. Create your own font or try bubble letters.
60. Use yarn to spell out words.
61. In your very best handwriting, write each spelling word three times. Use cursive if you can.
62. Write spelling words three times on one line—small, medium, and then large.
63. Give the child four consonants and two vowels. See how many words he or she can spell.
64. Use glow-in-the-dark markers or paint to write the words, and then check spelling in the dark.
65. Write words on scratch-art paper (colorful paper coated in black paint-like material).
66. Use washable window or dry-erase markers to write words on glass doors or windows.
67. Let the child write the spelling words on a bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker. The child can then spell them out loud every time he or she goes into the bathroom.
68. Write the words with a drawing game on a tablet or phone.
69. Divide a sheet of paper into the number of letters of the spelling word. Have the child draw an item that begins with each letter in the appropriate box.
70. Use letter magnets to spell the words on the fridge.
71. Write a story that contains all of that week’s spelling words.
72. Make a spelling ribbon. Write the letters of each word in a continuous line to make a fun shape or pattern. Use each word three to four times.
73. Write your spelling words in the order of the longest to the shortest.
74. Make a spelling stair step. Start on the first line and write just the first letter of the word. Go to the second line and write the first two letters of the word and so on until you have written the whole word.
75. Draw a fun scene and hide each spelling word in it twice. Have a friend or family member try to find the hidden words.
Don’t forget to comment with your own ideas below!
Also, remember that children do not learn to spell most effectively by practicing list after list of words. Visit our Phonics & Spelling Rules videos playlist on our Kids YouTube channel for an engaging way to reinforce spelling rules. Our carefully designed spelling instruction incorporates spelling patterns, spelling rules, and so much more! Check out the The Good and the Beautiful Level 1–8 Language Arts courses, which are free to download at goodandbeautiful.com/free.
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Comments
We like to use letter stamps and stamp the words into play dough.
We do these too! I love all the new ideas they gave!
Amazing list! I love the suggestion below of using stamps in playdough too!
This is excellent!