Spelling Games
Grade range: K-6
Subjects: Spelling, Reading, Writing, Vocabulary
Time: 10-20 minute practice sessions
Purpose
Use short, engaging activities to provide additional practice with words students are already learning. Digital games should reinforce explicit spelling instruction rather than replace it.
Current Software Option: Wordwall
Teachers can enter the week's spelling words into Wordwall and choose an activity type such as Match up, Quiz, Flash cards, Anagram, Group sort, or Complete the sentence. The same content can be switched between activity formats, and activities can be played on classroom screens, individual devices, or printed for students who need a paper version.
1. Word Pictures
Students write a target word and incorporate the letters into a simple picture. The picture is a memory aid and creative application, not the primary method for learning the spelling. Students then cover the word and write it from memory.
2. Spelling Hopscotch
Create a safe letter grid on the floor or pavement. Students move through the letters to spell teacher-selected words. For indoor classrooms, use floor cards or a tabletop version. Review each word afterward by having students say, spell, and write it.
3. Word-Building Challenge
Give students a small set of letter cards. Students build correctly spelled words, then sort the words by a spelling feature such as vowel pattern, suffix, or number of syllables.
4. Digital Review
Use a Wordwall activity for a brief review period. Keep the word list aligned with current instruction and stop the activity periodically to discuss why an answer is correct.
Assessment
After the game, dictate two or three target words and one sentence containing a target word. Keep words in later review so the teacher can determine whether learning lasts beyond the game.
Teacher Note
The digital activity is one practice option within a broader spelling routine. Wordwall also supports printable versions, making it possible to use the same content without requiring every student to work on a device.