Spell to Write and Read
We all want students to spell to write and read, not just to spell a list of words!
Here are some activities to help you achieve this important goal. Make them a part of your elementary lesson plans, or use them in any other intermediate grade.
Here is a peek at the first page of the printable version of the lesson. The full text also appears below.
Ideas for Teaching Kids to Spell to Write and Read
#1 Sentence Solvers
You've probably asked your students to write sentences using their spelling words -- perhaps nearly every week. It's a valuable activity, because we want kids to know how to use words, not just spell words. So here's a new twist. It may take a bit more of your time, but your students will love it. And they'll have even more practice in using spelling words.
1. Ask each student to write sentences for 4 different spelling words and submit them to you.
2. Check each set of sentences. Select the best one on each page and mark it with a star.
Tip: Allow students to type the sentences for the whole class. Let 2-3 kids type the set of sentences each week. Keep track of the typists so that all students have a turn throughout the year.
3. Type all the starred sentences into a single worksheet. Replace each spelling word with a blank.
4. Print the worksheets. Hand them out to students to complete. Tell students they must write a spelling word in each blank. (Some spelling words may be used more than once; some may not be used at all.)
Students will enjoy seeing
one of their own sentences in print, and they'll try to guess who
authored the others!
#2 Excellent Excerpts
Type short passages from reading, science or social studies texts. Replace any spelling words from the text with blanks. Replace other grade-level words (and/or a few letters from tricky words) with blanks. Here's a sample:
No time to type extra worksheets?
Ask your parent volunteers to help!
- Plan ahead.
- Photocopy several excerpts.
- Underscore the words and letters you'd like to omit in each passage.
- Ask your helpers to type the excerpts in their own time frame.
More Spelling Lessons & Resources
You may also be interested in these resources as you teach kids to spell to write and read:
Story Puzzles and A Listening Lesson - Great ideas for 3rd-5th grade classrooms
How to teach spelling - Even if you've been teaching for years, you might find it helpful to brush up on these fundamentals.
Spelling word games - Lots of simple ideas for fun spelling practice
Spelling homework - 40 fun, flexible ideas for anytime
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