3 Fun Ways to Teach Kids Spelling

Learning spelling words begins around the age of five. As your child begins to learn spelling words as the building block to writing and reading, he or she will need your help. To encourage your child to study and practice spelling words, the process needs to be engaging and fun. Here are three ideas that can help:

1) Phonics and Music

Some educators have dumped the curriculum of phonics, and others have continued to use it due to the positive results seen in a child’s spelling, writing, and reading. When a child learns the sounds of letters, it will be easier for him or her to learn to spell words.

To make learning phonics fun, there are different age level phonics sets that include CDs with music to learn the sounds of letters and how they come together to form words. The music engages your child and teaches him or her the basics without it being boring.

2) Flash and Flip

On some blank business cards, clearly write your child’s spelling words for the week. Let your child know that it’s time to play a game. Sit on the floor and place all the cards face down. You can start by flipping a card over, saying the word, spelling the word, flipping the card back over, and spelling the word without looking. Then have your child take a turn.

Playing along with your child encourages him or her to continue with the game. Even pretending to not know how to spell a word can create some cute giggles from your child. He or she won’t even think this game is about learning.

3) Toys and Technology

Technology is advancing faster than we can keep up with. Don’t be surprised if your child knows more about technology than you do. Electronic toys are a great way to continue the learning process with your child during long rides, shopping trips, or long waits at the doctor’s office. This interactivity has the ability to entertain your child for a period of time and make it fun.

For example, the Franklin Speak, Listen, and Learn Spelling Master allows you to type in spelling words and record your voice saying the words. Your child then sees the words and learns to spell the words he or she hears. This toy also has a word search game to keep learning fun for your child.