Spelling Games for Teachers

Actively playing with letters during spelling games helps kids learn to spell.

Learning to spell is an ordeal for some but not learning to spell can harm self-esteem since people often allow someone's lack of spelling ability to color thoughts about the person's intelligence. Students learn spelling by sight and sound. Spelling games can help students that learn best in either way because most involve elements of both sight and sound as students interact with one another during game play.

Letter Shuffle

Students work cooperatively in teams to be the first team that correctly spells a word using letter cards they are holding. Each team needs a set of letter cards in a small bag that you can make by printing letters on the computer or writing them on index cards. Be sure to include multiple copies of frequently used letters such as S, T, R and vowels. Have teams stand in groups facing a designated word caller who calls out a spelling word. Teams work together to find the letters in the letter bag that correctly spell the word, and arrange themselves holding the letter cards to spell the word correctly. Teams should turn their backs to other teams as they find the letters to correctly spell the word so that others do not cheat then turn quickly to face the word caller.

Spelling Toss

Students compete against each other, spelling words correctly and try to be the last one standing. Arrange the students in a circle, and designate one person as the starter. The starter stands in the middle of the circle holding a small ball. The word caller, often the teacher, says a spelling word and the person in the center says the first letter of the word then tosses the ball to another student who must quickly say the next letter and toss the ball to another person. Anyone who misses a letter in the spelling of the word, tosses the ball to the person in the center who starts the word over. Once the word has been spelled correctly, the person that said the last letter of the word, swaps places with the person in the center. Everyone that missed a letter remains seated. The word caller calls another spelling word and play continues until only one player remains and wins the round. Afterward, all players stand and the game continues.

Spelling Jeopardy

Students compete against each other for points in Spelling Jeopardy. Draw a large grid on the board with enough spots for the number of spelling words you have, five columns and four rows for a list of 20 words, for example. Write a different color word over the top of each column, and write a point value of your choice for each row. Have the list of spelling words divided into as many stacks as you have columns. Assign a point value to each word that corresponds to the values you wrote on the grid rows. Make the harder words worth more if you wish. Students take turns coming to then grid, choosing a color and point value, and trying to spell the word. If the students spell the word correctly, they gain those points and get to go again, up to two more times before they must give another person a chance. This rule allows more student participation. If students do not spell correctly, they must sit down and have another person try. Play continues until all words are spelled correctly.

Word Relay

Organize students in two or more relay teams for this activity. Have a tub or basket sitting across the room for each team. For each team, write or print out the letters for each of the spelling words on separate pieces of paper or index cards. In the tub, have the letters for each of the spelling words in separate envelopes. The relay begins with the first person of each team running to the tub, taking one envelope and unscrambling the letters to spell the word. The player gets verification from the teacher for the correct spelling then returns to the team to tag the next person. Play continues until one team correctly spells all the words and wins.

References

• Black Hills State University: English Spelling