How should I teach spelling? Give spelling tests, have a must-spelling-correctly poster, teach vocabulary and spelling patterns, teach commonly misspelled word, have each individual student have his/her own spelling list, hold a spelling bee?
I have and am trying many of these things. One thing I noticed, in the past, with weekly spelling tests is that students begrudged studying or just didn’t study and then it defeated the purpose of having them learn the word lists because they choose not to. This is why I have gone away from the spelling test format for teaching spelling.
Regardless of what I try, I believe strongly that students need to practice and get better at spelling. I notice that when handwriting students have a more difficult time with spelling than when word processing. Some seem to be able to pick out the correct spelling of words when given a choice. However, it is hardest for them when they can’t figure out the difference between homophones (words that are spelled differently but sound the same).
Here is a list of commonly misspelled words that my team at the high school developed when I worked there to help students work to improve spelling. You can print it out and hang it by your child’s desk when he/she is doing work.
We are also working on learning prefixes, roots, and suffixes which will help us with vocabulary and spelling patterns.
This year, I am trying something else new. We will have a school spelling bee on February 4 that students can participate in. I will not require them to participate but I do strongly encourage them to compete. However, I feel, you, as their parent, can require your child to participate. As a school, we have registered through The Scripps National Spelling Bee and, therefore, students are eligible to go on to the state-level competition if they win our school spelling bee. The state competition, I believe, qualifies them for the National Spelling Bee. I am new to this all, so please be patient with me, and, also, let me know if you are interested in helping me with this new venture.
Here are spelling lists they can use to start studying.
Good luck, and I hope to see students’ spelling improve as we hold them accountable for incorrect spelling, encourage them to practice commonly misspelled words, and give them more tools to have at their ready.
Thanks Deb!
Thank you Deb, although I’m having to look up some of the 8th grade list myself!