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Fun Ways to Practice Spelling Words

Spelling words are a fact of life with elementary school kids.

I remember them clearly from my years in school and we’ve had plenty of years of practice with my own two girls.

My struggle has always been making them interesting. We’ve got to practice them, right? So, how can we have fun?

Luckily, there are many fun ways to practice spelling words that you can try. Here are over 30 ideas that will keep your spelling work fun and interesting.

Over 30 active and fun ways to practice spelling words.

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How to Make Spelling Fun

For the longest time, the only ideas for practicing spelling words I could come up with were practice tests and writing them over and over and over again. Boring!

So, let’s think outside the box to come up with some ways to make spelling fun.

Here’s some things to consider:

Can we use something other than a pencil to write our words?

How can we take our work outside?

Is there a way to keep active kids moving?

What unique supplies can I find to help with our homework?

Spelling homework doesn't have to be frustrating when you try one of these fun activities.

In addition to these questions, you also need to think about your child’s interests. Do they enjoy art? Do they love LEGOs? What are their favorite toys and activities? And, can you incorporate that into your spelling homework in order to make it more fun?

Also, make sure you have several ideas in your pocket. Try some of these spelling activities for ideas – there are over 30 activities listed. You’ve got to mix it up and provide some variety!

Fun Ways to Practice Spelling Words

In the following list you’ll find many different ways to learn. There are active ideas and artistic ideas. Some activities are fine motor and others are gross motor.

No matter what you child enjoys, you’ll find some great options to help make their spelling homework fun.

Fun Ways to Practice Spelling Words

Spelling practice doesn't have to be boring! Try these fun, hands-on ways to practice spelling words at home or in the classroom.

How to Study Spelling Words

Now that you’ve got a ton of ideas, how do you use them to actually study and learn your words?

When you sit down with a new spelling list with your child. Go through the words with them. Specifically, look for any spelling rules that they need to keep in mind. Do the words have silent e’s? Are there any consonant groupings (such as ch or st) or vowel groupings (such as ea or ai)? You can refer to this list of spelling rules for help.

Another thing to keep in mind is repetition. Reading through your list multiple times won’t do the trick. You need to actually spell them and write them, sometimes over and over again.

Some words will be easy to learn (or your child already know how to spell them) and others will be harder. When practicing, you don’t need to give equal weight to each word. Some days you may only want to use the tricky words in your spelling activities or just focus on the one word that your child is stuck on. An activity like Pinprick Words is perfect for those times when you need to go over one or two specific words.

The best spelling activities to make learning fun.

Ways to Practice Spelling Words At Home

While these activities are intended for both classroom at home, every one of them will work as after school practice.

Once you’ve tried out several ideas, decide which ones were favorites. These are the activities that we’ll want to prepare for by gathering (or purchasing) supplies and setting up a spelling homework station. This way, you don’t have to prep activities every single day.

Just because you prepare for certain activities doesn’t mean that you can’t do some of the other ideas!

Spelling homework supplies

You don’t need anything fancy to set up your supplies in a homework station. I’d suggest just a box or bin that could be easily put away and easy for your child to use. A small storage bin with a lid and handle would be perfect! Once you’ve found your bin, just fill it with the supplies you need.

If you don’t have a place to tuck away your bin, you can store your supplies in a cute, decorative bin. Here’s a pretty rustic wooden supply caddy that would look cute sitting out on a desk.

You can shop my list of spelling homework supplies here.

More Resources for After School Learning

Hundred Chart Activities to Make Math Fun

Fun STEM Projects for Kids

Fun Addition Fact Games for Kids

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I’d love for you to join me! Just click the link below, request to join, and answer the questions (they’re easy, I promise). Come join the fun! Join the Creative Family Fun for Busy Families community here.

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Terri Thompson

Terri is a writer and mom of two elementary-aged girls. She has a passion for learning and is always looking for ways to make learning fun. You can find her here writing about fun learning activities, art, craft, and family fun ideas.

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