SPELLING

Pick up a simple spiral notebook in late August during the school supply sales. Usually you can get one for 10/$1.00! This will be your student’s spelling notebook.

You can choose to use this as the place to keep/record the spelling lists or to also complete spelling practice in. If you choose to do the spelling practice in another spiral notebook, try to pick one that is the same color as the first.

Open the spiral notebook and on the first page, or inside the cover, write the basic instructions down for your student.

Your student will be forming a list of words that they misspell throughout the week or over a specified period of time, say two weeks. These words will be recorded in list form on this spelling practice list’s page. Continue until you have 10 or 20 words – depending on the age and ability of the child- then stop the list. You may choose to carry over words that did not make the list because of quantity and any words that were incorrect on their test from last week. If you have trouble coming up with 10 words, choose words that are from lists you can find online or in books of most misspelled words. (200 Most Misspelled Words, AskOxford, Etme, 3 more links here) To buy something, you can get 1001 Most Misspelled Words at a thrift store or new for $10.

Have the student turn to the next page or work in the second spiral notebook to practice spelling each word 20 times. It also works to only spell 10 times and then require a sentence be made for each word. This is also good penmanship and grammar practice.

A test must be given by another student or yourself. If you required sentences to be written, you may decide to say the word and then say the sentence that they wrote for it. It is association and cements the learning process! Any words missed should be recycled onto next weeks list. Be careful to praise the words all spelled correctly. Remember, these are all words that were difficult to that person. These are not the spelling lists we were given as students and we knew how to spell most of them already. Try not to focus on errors made on the test and give plenty of praise where praise is due! So, there you go- an extremely effective spelling program that is tailored to the specific needs of your student and only cost you 10 cents.