Spelling for Kindergarten

Spelling for kindergarten should be simple, useful and intentional. Spelling lists and practices should not be mindless, grueling or boring.

So how can you pull this off? Use the recommendations and  word lists that follow, and you'll be on the right track!

What Words Should Kindergartners Learn to Spell?

1. One of the very first words every kindergartner should learn to spell is his/her name.  

2. Other spelling words should be those that have  everyday meaning for students and are simple to spell. 

3. Kindergartners should also learn to spell words in simple word families, such as the  ad, an, ap, at, ed, en, et, ig, in, it, og, ot, ug, un  and  ut families. 

How Should Kindergartners Learn to Spell?

1. Students should learn to spell their names by repetitive use. Each time they color a paper or come to the board, ask them to write their names.  Use their names frequently in classroom displays, such as chore charts, cubbyholes, and so on.

2. Students should read their new spelling words.  When you assign five new spelling words, for example, also give your students short text selections that include all or most of these words.  Read the text together, then ask kids to circle the spelling words and write them again on the back of the page.

3. Students should write their new words in worksheets, on the board, and in repetitive work.  For instance, you can ask students to write a new word three times in a row, each time with a different color, just to keep it fun. 

4. Students should spell their new words aloud. Take two minutes of transition time to spell the new words aloud as a group. Encourage students and parents to work together on the new words at home.

5. Students should participate in fun learning games that reinforce their burgeoning spelling skills. 

Keep it light, keep it fun, and keep it coming!

Spelling for Kindergarten : Activities, Games & Worksheets

Kindergarten Sight Words - Use these kindergarten sight words to strengthen early learners' reading, writing and spelling skills. When student can master these simple words as early as kindergarten, they'll be off to a great start with their language skill-building! 

Encourage students to start building simple sentences with these words. Work together as a group to create sentences that the teacher writes on the board. Students copy these on paper to illustrate and take home to read to their families. 

This process of Create, Copy, Illustrate, Read is one that you'll want to use over and over through the year. 

The Bugs - One bug dug in the mud. Another bug drinks from a mug on the rug. What better way to learn the -ug word family?

The Big Pigs - This whimsical page features a muddy pig with a wig, and another pig that does a jig!

This Man - This printable kindergarten worksheet features the AN words man, ran, fan and pan.

The Pet Jet - A kindergarten writing worksheet featuring words from the ET family. After a classroom discussion, kids can write or finish their own story about an interesting picture. 

Letter Lines - Kindergarten printable worksheets in which students match pictures with words, then draw lines to connect letters in those words

What's Last? - Two cute pages in which kids need to say the names of some common objects and identify their ending sounds.

Rhyme Time! Kids will say the name of the first picture in each row, trace the word, find another picture in the same row that rhymes with the first picture, and then color all the pictures. This is FUN phonics practice! A second page features long vowel sounds.

Homework worksheets - 2 pages that are especially simple to do at home. String the letters to complete sight words, or find the hidden color words and write them correctly inside the crayons. Great for kindergarten or first grade.

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AnyWord Spelling Practice Series Worksheets, Games and Prompts that work with almost ANY spelling words!

Fun Spelling Worksheets for Grades 1 and 2    50 All-new reproducible pages for early learners!