Spelling Lesson Plans & Activities

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Finding Misspelled Words Grades 3+
Help develop more independence in your student's editing skills. "My students had weak spelling skills. Whenever I asked them to hand in the final draft of an essay using spelling words, there would still be mistakes. In the past, I corrected the misspelled words and handed them back but I don't anymore. Now I tell my students how many words they misspelled and they have to find the mistakes themselves, forcing the students to study the words more carefully."
Submitted by: byrnefamily@email-removed. This idea was posted in the NEA's Weekly Works4Me Newsletter.

Sparkle Grades Various
A great game to play instead of using a standard spelling assessment. Once a marking period I play the game of Sparkle instead of a spelling assessment.  Sparkle is a game where I announce the spelling word.  Each student says a letter, until the last letter.  The person after the last letter says "sparkle" and they sit down.  If a student says the wrong letter they sit down too.  The students love it because you are not always "out" if you misspell the word.  I assess all spelling words and words from previous units. The great thing about sparkle you can use it not only for spelling, but for other subject areas such as Math (multiplication tables, addition tables), Social Studies, and Science.
Submitted by: Connie Semler - Liberty Corner, New Jersey

Spelling Center Items Grades Any
Summary: Here are some great ideas to include in your spelling center
No matter what grade you teach, students need to practice spelling. Set up a "Spelling Center" in your classroom geared toward reaching all types of learners. Include some of the following items:
-paper
-sand
-shaving cream
-markers
-sandpaper letters
-jump rope (Kinesthetic students would enjoy jumping to their words.)
-sidewalk chalk
-small chalkboard or dry erase board with markers
-letter macaroni
-magnetic letters
-sentence strips

See what other items you can think of!
Submitted by: teach@email-removed

Spelling Practice Grades Various
A fun paper basketball toss game to practice spelling words. Here's a fun game to play to review spelling words each week. Students come up to the board and spell one word that the teacher dictates. If they spell it correctly they "shoot" into the "basket" (throw a wadded up piece of paper, or small bean bag, into a trash can, from an appropriate distance). If they make it, they get one point. The student with the most points at the end wins.
Submitted by: Mary Baker - Jacksonville, Florida

Spelling Test Bingo Grades 3+
Summary: Here is a fun and creative way for students to practice their spelling words. My class plays Spelling Test Bingo. I created a blank Bingo board and made copies. The students number the boxes as they pick where to write the words. After all the words are given, they may fill in the other blanks with doubles of the words used. We exchange papers and correct them. If a word is misspelled, it's rewritten correctly. Then the papers are returned and the fun begins. I write the words on small pieces of paper and place them in a hat. As I pull out a word, the Bingo game starts. When a student gets Bingo, that student must stand up and spell out all the words correctly in order to win the game. I give out small prizes to the winners. My class loves this game and it's a great help to those that need to review for the test.
Submitted by: Vickie Hugo Kidteach@email-removed, a fourth grade teacher at Buttonwillow School in Buttonwillow, California. This idea was posted in the NEA's Weekly Works4Me Newsletter.

Letter Recognition Grades Kindergarten
This is a fun way for students to practice their letters.
Submitted by: Jeanne

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Musical Spelling Rules Grades Primary
An alternative way to learn tricky rules.