Are you looking for fun ways to practice spelling words with your students? I’m always looking for fun spelling practice ideas to engage my students during word work. Today I’m going to share 10 spelling activities that I know your students will enjoy that you can do with any word list.
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Fun Spelling Practice Ideas
I love finding creative ways to practice spelling words that work with any word list, that way you can use them time and again and differentiate them for your students. These 10 spelling practice ideas are hands-on and are sure to be a blast for students.
#1: Ghost Spelling
This spelling activity is an oldie but a goodie. It’s called many different things, but in my class, we called it Ghost Spelling, and it is one of my students’ favorite ways to practice spelling words!
I always introduce this activity around Halloween because it adds to the excitement. How’s that for a hook, right?!
When introducing this activity, I ask students to get out their spelling journal or recording sheet, a white crayon, and some markers. They always ask why they need a white crayon.
Then, I show them what they think is a blank page (when secretly the words are written in white crayon). I always tell my kids that I’m “magic,” so this was a perfect opportunity to perform a magic trick for them.
I take a marker and color over the “blank page” to reveal the spelling words! My students are always amazed by this! I love watching their faces light up in surprise. This gets them even more excited to practice their spelling words.
Here is how Ghost Spelling works:
- Write a spelling word on a piece of paper or recording sheet with white crayon.
- Using a marker or water color paint, color over the white crayon.
- Watch the word magically appear!
#2: Kwik Stix Spelling
The next spelling activity uses Kwik Stix! If you have not used these in your classroom, you are missing out! They are like glue sticks but with tempera paint. They dry almost instantly, are mess free, and make practicing spelling words so much fun. Kids seriously love them!
This fun spelling practice idea is super simple. Simply give students a piece of white construction paper and let them practice writing their spelling words with Kwik Stix. This gives the students a little creative outlet, too!
#3: Crazy Spelling
Crazy Spelling is another one of my favorite ways to practice spelling words and is a hit with kids! It is so important to give students choice, and that is exactly what this activity provides.
For this spelling activity, students roll a dice. The number that they roll tells them what to do next. They might write their words in funky letters, huge letters, in their favorite color, etc.
When dice and fun writing utensils are involved, you can’t go wrong! Students can glue the Crazy Spelling page into their writing journal and write their spelling words on the other side of the page.
#4: Squiggle Spelling
Squiggle Spelling is another fun way to practice spelling words. Using this Squiggle Spelling template or on basic notebook paper, have students draw a long squiggly line with as many loops and curves as they want. The crazier, the better!
Then, they must write their spelling words along the line that they created. The crazier the squiggly line, the crazier it is to write their spelling words.
#5: Pattern Block Words
Whenever you can incorporate cross-curricular learning into your lessons, take advantage of it! Pattern Block Words is one of my favorite ways to practice spelling words because it combines word work with math and geometry concepts.
Students will build their spelling words in a hands-on way with pattern blocks. Plus, they’ll work on problem-solving and direction-following skills as they look at the Build the Word cards and complete the pattern on their work mat to spell their words.
This activity is great for sight word practice as well.
#6: Tic-Tac-Toe Spelling
What kid doesn’t love a game of Tic-Tac-Toe? Bring in some fun spelling practice with Tic-Tac-Toe Spelling!
Students will play in partners, each choosing a spelling word. They will take turns writing their word in the Tic-Tac-Toe squares on the recording sheet or on a piece of paper. The first player to get 3 in a row wins!
Then, they choose new spelling words and move to the next Tic-Tac-Toe board and play again. This would be a fun spelling activity to use to rotate around the room and play with different partners.
#7: Dial the Word
Anytime you can word code-cracking and math into your spelling practice, it’s a teacher win! This Dial the Word spelling activity is one of my class’s favorite ways to practice spelling words.
Students will practice writing their spelling word, matching up the letters to the number code, and adding the numbers together.
Not only does this help students practice key spelling and addition skills, but it also familiarizes them with the number pattern on a phone.
This activity works with any spelling or sight word list.
#8: Crack the Code
Every kid loves to crack codes, so this Crack the Code spelling activity is a great way to give students an opportunity to be spelling word detectives!
Students will write a spelling word in each box. Then, they’ll look at the code to draw the symbols to match the letters in the word.
There are a ton of different codes available to make it even more exciting!
#9: Fraction Spelling
There are a ton of creative ways to practice spelling words, but when you can incorporate math into the mix, I can’t resist!
Fraction Spelling is a great way to practice spelling words and basic fraction concepts. Students will write the word and determine how many vowels and consonants are in the word. Then, they’ll write the fraction showing how many letters are consonants.
This can be done using the Fraction Spelling recording sheet or on a piece of paper or a whiteboard.
You can never have too much fraction practice, so this is a great cross-curricular activity.
#10: Money Spelling
This spelling practice activity is another one that incorporates mathematical concepts into word work. This is a great way for students to work on spelling words, recognizing coins, and counting coins to find the value.
Students will write the word on the Money Spelling recording sheet. Then, they’ll look at the coin code and draw the coins that represent each letter. Finally, they’ll add the coins to find the value.
As a math guru, this is one of my favorite ways to practice spelling words.
I hope you enjoyed these 10 fun ways to practice spelling words. Each activity can be used with any spelling or sight word list and is sure to make word work more fun in your classroom.
You can find these spelling activities and many more in my Spelling Activities and Games for Any Word List activity pack.
I like to keep these activities handy in hanging file pocket charts for easy access.
Whether you’re looking for fun ways to practice spelling words or need more early finisher activities, these spelling ideas are perfect to use at anytime!
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