Every Monday, your child will be bringing home a collection of spelling words that have been introduced in class. Ideally, each night (5 minutes) of the week your child is expected to do a different activity to ensure that these words and the spelling principles they represent are mastered. These activities will be modeled and practiced in class, so your child can teach you how to do them. Here is a summary of some of the ways the words can be practiced.
Pattern or Sound Sort
Sort the words into the categories. There are always headings and sample words that are in bold print for each category. Your child should read each word aloud during this activity. Ask your child to explain to you why the words are sorted in a particular way – what does the sort reveal about spelling in general?
Speed Sort
Ask your child to sort the words as fast as possible while you time them. Check to see if they are sorted accurately. Then have them sort the words again, to see if they can beat their time.
Blind Sort
Lay down a word from each category as a header and then read the rest of the words aloud. Your child must indicate where the word goes without seeing it. Lay it down and let your child move it if he or she is wrong. Repeat if your child makes more than one error.
Word Hunt
Look for words that have the same sound, pattern or both in a book, magazine or even the newspaper. Try to find two or three words for each category.
Writing Sort
Do a writing sort to prepare for the test. As you call out the words in a random order, your child should write them in categories. Call out any words your child misspells a second or even a third time.
Build Your Word
Build each of your words following the idea in the example below:
Word: because
b
be
bec
beca
becau
becaus
because
Spelling tests will be each Friday.
