Trimester 2 Spelling Menu
* See anticipated 3-cycle schedule.
* These activities will help you deepen your understanding of
spelling patterns/rules and will help you prepare for the
assessment. Additionally, you should be practicing your words
nightly. It is your responsibility to know the meanings of the
words on your list. If there are any unfamiliar words, you need to
look up the definitions in the dictionary.
* You MUST try a variety of activities each week! You cannot
repeat activities.
Each activity should be completed in your spelling
notebook and have a proper heading:
Date, Activity Name, “Home”
Activities:
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Speed Sort
Continue The Pattern
Word Hunt
Blind Sort
Open Sort
Words in Words
Spelling Stories
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Define and Illustrate
Speed Sort (this activity focuses on the patterns/rules of your words)
This is a closed sort that is timed to “beat your speed”. Use your cut-out
words and sort your words following the pattern, note the time it took you
to sort your words. Then, record the sort in your notebook along with the
amount of time it took you to complete the sort.
Continue the Pattern (this activity focuses on patterns/rules)
Using the pattern of your closed sort, add 3 NEW words that follow the
pattern to each category of your original sort. Record the sort in your
notebook.
Word Hunt (this activity focuses on the patterns/rules of your words)
In your independent reading book, go back to a section or chapter that you
have already read. Do not use a new chapter that you will read for
homework. It must be a previously read section. Your focus is to hunt for
words not comprehension. In this activity, you should split up your notebook
page into columns. Label each column with the pattern headings for your
sort. Also, record where you are hunting for words (book title, article title,
online resource, etc.)Then, hunt for the words on your list OR any other
words that would follow your spelling pattern. When you find a word, add it
to your notebook in the correct category along with the page number of your
book.
*** If you can’t find words in your text, look in: the newspaper, online
article, magazine, etc.
Blind Sort (this activity focuses on exploring your words)
In your notebook, sort your words by a rule that you create (leave it a
mystery!). Keep the category headings blank. Have someone guess your
pattern rule (parent, sibling, friend, or guardian).
Example:
Rule:____________________________________________
Black
Bland
Blurry
Blast
Plush
Plant
Plunger
Plow
Start
Stop
Staple
Stamp
Brush
Branch
Brow
Brown
Open Sort (this activity focuses on exploring your words)
View your list of words. Decide how you can categorize or sort them, by
looking at common features, patterns, meanings, syllables, etc. Write your
headings and then sort your words by following your rule. Make sure to
record your rule and category headings.
Example:
Rule: Types of Transportation________________
Water
Tugboat
Sailboat
Ferry
Air
Helicopter
Parachute
Airplane
Land
Car
Bicycle
Bus
Oddball
Flower
Cherry
Mouse
Words within Words (this activity focuses on exploring your words)
Choose 5 words from your spelling list (hint: choose words that have many
letters!). Record as many words as you can that you can make using the
letters in each word.
Example:
shower = show, row, how, worse…
Spelling Stories (this activity focuses on the meanings of your words)
Write a short story using a minimum of 8 of your spelling words. The story
should make sense and have 1 topic (it cannot be 10 different sentences that
don’t go together). It should have a beginning, middle, and end. Underline
each spelling word in your story.
Define and Illustrate (this activity focuses on the meanings of your
words)
Use the dictionary to define 8 of your words. Write the first definition
only if your word has multiple meanings. Then draw a picture to show the
word in action!