Spelling

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Home : 2002 : June : 9

Spelling
By Krissy

I have a specific weekly word list that I use from our 4th grade reading book. I like to focus a great deal on students knowing what the words mean as well as how to spell them. We do various activities each day and at
the end of the week take a spelling test. I always give 10 regular words and 5 bonus words. The bonus words are not graded and students know up front what they will be. I choose words that I see getting frequently misspelled. They are extra credit. Here are some activities that I do with the spelling words...
*Tactile Letters: At the dollar store I bought 15 sets of small plastic

letters. I give a bag of letters to each pair. Sometimes I just call out the word, other times, the definitions, and other time, students call out the words to their partners.

*Stories: I have the students write creative stories using as many of the words correctly as possible.

*Dictionary Relays: Students work in pairs or small groups to race to find the word I call out.

*Word Quilt: Each student chooses a word to write and draw a picture for on a small square, then we glue them together to make a large paper quilt.

*Gel Pens: Students write their words in their best cursive with gel pens on black paper. (My kids wanted to do this EVERY week.)

*SPELL-O: Students write the words in random order on a 20 square grid. I call out the definition and students cover.

*Spelling Basketball: I have a small hoop with a nerf ball on my wall. I call on a student to stand and spell a word outloud, if they get it correctly, they get to shoot the basket for a draw from my treasure box.