Spelling Activity Ideas
~ Active hands on Spelling~
Overhead Projector
Spelling
Using pipe cleaners,
children form shapes of
letters and make spelling
words to see on overhead
screen.
Sign Language Spelling
Teach children the letters
of the alphabet in Sign
Language and children spell
to a buddy.
Children create a slideshow
of their spelling words.
Word Hospital
Showdown Spelling
Children form two class
groups and one child from
each side volunteers. First
child says ”There’s going to
be a showdown!” The other
replies, “We’ll see about
that”. They act out the
showdown scene.
Teacher/child says a word
and the first one to spell it
correctly wins. New players
chosen.
Calculator Spelling
Design a get-well card for a
word badly damaged by
misspelling.
Translate letters in words
to numbers and create your
own algorithms.
Spelling Sale of the
Century
Three contestants and
three buzzers (children)
needed. Buzzers cross their
legs on the floor, and
contestants sit behind on
their chairs. They lightly
press the buzzer child’s
head in front when they
know the answer – the
buzzer makes a unique
sound.
Team Spelling
Divide the class into four
equal teams and ask each
to select a captain. When
you call a word, team
members discuss how to
spell it, and then the
captain reports the
team's decision. A correct
answer scores one point.
Detective Spelling
Children use spelling words
to create pictures, ie
outline of a house – instead
of drawing lines – the words
make the walls, etc.
Spelling criminals have
stolen key letters from
spelling words. Find the
letters and replace them in
their rightful order.
Using a telephone number
pad, translate the words
into numbers.
Powerpoint Spelling
Children use magnetic
letters to make spelling
words.
Spellamodoodles
Telephone Spelling
Magnetic Letters
Spelling Word Hunt
Letters are hidden around
room – some are for the
words and a few extra just
to make it tricky. Children
have to find letters and
then decide which letters
they need to spell the word.
Playdough Words
Children use playdough to
form word or spelling
snakes.
Team Crossword Puzzles
Teams of four are randomly
assigned. Each student
selects five words from
their team word banks.
Team Goal: Use these
twenty words to design a
team crossword puzzle.
Spelling Activity Ideas
~ For confident Spellers ~
Portmanteau
Blending two words creates portmanteau words,ie galumph
(from gallop and triumph). Print several well-known
portmanteaus - motel, brunch, smog - on individual cards.
On the back of each card write the two original words and
a brief description. To play, divide the class into two
teams. To score a point, a team member draws a card,
pronounces the word, identifies the two words that were
blended to create the new word, and uses the
portmanteau in a sentence.
Oxymorons
Oxymorons are phrases that use two contradictory words
to provide emphasis - cruel kindness, sweet sorrow, war
games. Print individual words on separate cards. Kids play
Oxymoron Concentration, turning over two cards at a
time, saying the words together as a phrase, and deciding
if it is an oxymoron. Ask children to create their own
oxymorons and to explain their choice of words
Mnemonics
Student takes a spelling
word (e.g. artist) and builds
his own sentence. A Andy R
Runs T Ten I Inches In S
Small T Towns.
Neologisms
Neologisms are new words or phrases that have become an accepted part of everyday vocabulary - clone, digital, software, hardware. To create a
deck of neologisms to use in a game of Neology Bluff, ask students to ask parents and other adults for new words. As each locates a neologism, he or
she prints the word on a card. On the back, the student writes the definition in red and two false, but logical, definitions in black. When you have a
stack of neologisms, divide the class into two teams. Three players from one team stand in front of the class. One player shows the word to the
opposing team, pronounces it, and gives one of the definitions on the back of the card. The second player gives another definition and the third
player gives the remaining definition. The opposing team must identify the correct definition in order to score.
Malapropisms
Malapropisms are ridiculous misuses of the language, involving words that sound similar but have entirely different meanings. Typhoon/tycoon,
alligator/elevator, abdominal/abominable. Play Malapropism Quiz Bowl with your class. Divide the class into two teams. Prepare cards with printed
sentences containing malapropisms. One member from each team comes up to the front of the room. Place a buzzer or bell between the two players.
Draw a card and read the sentence aloud. Students try to identify the malapropism and supply the correct word. The first player to hit the bell or to
clap hands gets the first chance to answer. If incorrect, the other player has a try. Score one point for each correct answer.
Spelling Activity Ideas
~ Active, hands-on Spelling ~
Where’s my family?
A number of family word
lists are written and placed
into the same container.
Children need to sort them
into the same word families
and reunite them!
Secret Agent Words
Number the alphabet from
1 to 26, and then convert
your words to a number
code.
Jumbled Words
Words have been jumbled.
Ask students to work out
what the words are and
provide the correct
spelling.
Summons to Appear in
Court!
Help! There are some words
that have broken spelling
rules and refuse to follow
the rules! Identify the
rule/s that they have
broken and find a few that
have done the right thing
and followed them! Children
take on characters to
represent the words in
court.
Morse Code
Convert your words into
Morse Code.
Spelling Charades
Students provide the
number of Syllables and
give action clues for their
spelling words.
Comic Strips
Mind Reader
Make your own comic strips. Student teams create their
own comic characters, stories, and story strips using
their spelling word lists.
You have at least 20 words
up on the board to begin.
Children record five
possible words that the
teacher/child may have
chosen. Teacher has a
selected word written and
folds it up. Provide clues to
help the children guess.
Alternative project: Cut out comic strips from the
newspapers. Cut off the balloon words. Have students
create their own dialogues putting in as many spelling
words as possible.
Spelling Rap
Provide children with
musical instruments.
Children create a rap using
spelling words and perform
it to the class.
Super Sleuths
Children write a story using
all spelling words but one!
The Super Sleuth has to
examine the story and find
the missing word!
Consonants and Vowels
When spelling out words,
place directions on how it is
done. Either whisper vowels
and chant consonants, omit,
give actions etc.
Spelling Baseball
Children form two teams.
Bases are placed around
the room. Batter steps up
to the plate and is pitched
a spelling word. If they get
it right, they go to first
base. Three ‘outs’ and
teams swap.
Alphabetical Order
Put words into alphabetical
order (adapt – reverse
order, etc)
Newspaper/ magazine
Search
Search and find as many
spelling words or variations
of the words in the
newspaper. Cut out and glue
into spelling book.