Teach Your Child to Spell

Spelling in the English language can be a very difficult subject to teach and to acquire. If you have taught your child to use the phonics method (see phonics article here) then this will be a little simpler of a task. As phonics uses a system that teaches children how to sound out words for reading, this system can be used to teach children how to spell.

Before you begin teaching your children how to spell, it is important that they understand how to read. Therefore, teaching children younger than kindergarten will only become a frustration for younger children. It is not recommended to teach spelling to anyone younger than five. Yet, you should consider how well the child can read, even above the age of five.

Grades K-3rd
Spelling can be perfidious; some adults have a hard time spelling certain words in the English language. There will be three or four words that sound the same but spelled different and with different meanings.

Talk to your child about the phonics system and how words are sounded out. Phonics has helped millions of children learn to read and spell, using the sound of each letter to discover the spelling of the word as a whole. B /b/, A /a/, L /l/, L /l/, BALL.

Practice spelling core words with your child, you can use flash cards to help your child learn core words while using the phonics system to spell out more difficult words. Practice these procedures as much as you can without exhausting your child from the subject matter.

Main points to address:

• Talk about the phonics system and how words should be sounded out.
• Practice Spelling as much as you can.

Grades 4th-6th
To be a part of your child’s spelling and homework assignments will help them tremendously in the classroom and out. Be available for study time with your child to give them a spelling word and have them spell it back to you. Or you can give them the meaning and have them tell you the word and its spelling. Have fun doing this together, and create quirky sentences to go with your child’s spelling words.

In addition to homework assignments take out as many words a week as you can from the dictionary to master those words with your child. Together you and your child can master the spelling and vocabulary of these words once a week. Twenty words would be a good amount, as long as you and your child don’t have too many other extracurricular activities going at the same time.

Main points to address:

• Go through the dictionary, take out so many words a week to master.
• Be active in your child’s spelling homework and activities.

Resources
Resources that can help you in your venture include:

• Spelling Police – http://www.handwritinghelpforkids.com/
• National Spelling Bee – http://www.spellingbee.com/
• Word Central – http://www.wordcentral.com/
• Spelling Worksheets – http://www.spellitright.talktalk.net
• Flash cards – http://www.esl-kids.com/flashcards/flashcards.html

Games for Kids

• Spelling Match – http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmsv/smg/
• Fun Brain – http://www.funbrain.com/
• Play Kids Games – http://www.playkidsgames.com/
• Bonus – http://www.bonus.com/en/b2/content/item.do?code=home_main
• Catch the Spelling – http://www.manythings.org/cts/
• Homework Hub – http://www.scholastic.com/kids/homework/
• Spelling Bee Game – http://www.kidshealth.org
• Everyday Spelling – http://www.everydayspelling.com/
• See -n- Spell – http://www.primarygames.com/see-n-spell/see-n-spell.htm
• Word Builder – http://www.harcourtschool.com

Posted in Education.

Related articles

• Teach Your Child About the Solar System

• Teach Your Child About Oceans and Ocean Life

• Teach Your Child the Basics of Music