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For grades three to six. Fold paper into sixteen
squares. Children are asked to give a word. A scribe writes the word on
the board or challenges the donor to spell the word. The children all write
the correctly spelled word on any of one of the sixteen squares. When all
the squares are filled, a child is selected to come forward. With his or
her back to the board, the child spells any one of the words a selected
caller gives. Each correctly spelled word enables the class to place a marker
on the corresponding Bingo square. The first child to complete a row or
a diagonal calls "Bingo" and wins the game. The teacher keeps
a list of the words called and checks off the winner. These Bingo squares
may be kept for repeated playing.
How many words can you find in the Boggle? Search
for words horizontally, vertically, and on the diagonal.
T S B C List Words Other Words
R A E K bead
E D R L bear
T S O M bare
Bonus PointsEvery student stands by their desk with a chalkboard in front of them. Teacher gives a word. All write on the chalkboard. At signal from teacher, students turn boards towards the teacher. Check and correct. Students with correct boards remain standing for the next round.
The entire class is viewed as a team. Build a paper ladder on the bulletin board. Put the red flag words for that month on the bottom of the ladder. The rungs of the ladder equal the class size.
Every time another child spells one of the words, the word gets to climb one rung of the ladder.
Frequent pop quizzes allow the teacher to suddenly stop the class and ask them to write a particular word. Counting the number of right responses determines how high up the ladder the word climbs.
When it comes to English spellings, nothing is
simple. Even a very common sound, such as ooz, can be spelled in a dozen
different ways. Study the clues below and try to identify the words containing
the sound of ooz. Each one has a different spelling for the sound.
1. Dishes of meat and vegetables _________________________
2. Footwear _________________________
3. To miss from one's possessions _________________________
4. African antelopes with ox-like heads _________________________
5. Expressions of exclamation or delight _________________________
6. A voyage _________________________
7. Places where wild animals are exhibited _________________________
8. Amounts owed _________________________
9. To think or ponder __________________________
10. Outlooks __________________________
Outline the shape of word using three different
colors. Be sure the students outline the word in its exact shape. Each time
the word is outlined, change colors. Write in cursive or print. This really
helps visual students and artistic students who have trouble with spelling.
Make your own comic strips. Student teams create
their own comic characters, stories, and story strips using their spelling
word lists. 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.
Games make subjects requiring repetition practice
livable and more enjoyable. Spelling is certainly that kind of subject.
Here are some spelling games to try or they may inspire you to invent others.
Be sure all your games, though, actually promote spelling. I have three
rules of order:
Teams build word family flashcards. These flashcards are used as drill cards for younger children. The older child calls out the word. The young child attempts to spell the word correctly. The older child shows the correct answer.
Younger students are placed in teams of four. Taking twenty words from the wordbanks or from the red flag words (difficult words), the team is given two cards for each word. The word is written on one card and a picture of that word is drawn on the other card. Using rules similar to "Concentration" or the card game "Fish", the team plays "Hide and Seek" attempting to make matches with the cards. When the child thinks she has a match, she must be able to cover the cards and spell the matched word. Points are given for matches and correct spelling.
Homonyms are words that sound the same but are different in their spelling and their meaning. The words "tea" and "tee" are examples. A number of animal names are homonyms. In each pair of the sentences below, the first sentence gives you a clue to the name of the animal. Try to spell it correctly and then try to spell the homonym that it is paired with in the second sentence. Have the children create more sentence pairs.
1. At Yellowstone Park you are
likely to see a ___________________. In winter the trees are ____________________.
2. The _________________stood beside her fawn. The baker put the ____________
in a warm place to rise.
3. Above the fireplace were the antlers of a ___________________. "___________me!" exclaimed the little old lady.
4. A ______________ named Native Dancer won the Kentucky Derby. He yelled
until his throat was ___________________.
5. A _____________ is an African animal with an ox-like head. Johnny __________the
answer, but didn't raise his hand.
One of the ways ancient Hebrew children learned their alphabet was through cookies. The mother would shape the letters out of cookie dough. This would be a great idea for a homeroom mother. After they were baked, the children would hold the letter, say the sound, then eat the letter.
Below are the definitions of ten words. These are linked by two letters each. To form this chain of words, drop the first two letters of the first word and add two letters to the end of it to make a second word. Keep repeating this until you've formed the entire chain.
| 1. Crippled | _______LAME_______ |
| 2. A Food | ____________________ |
| 3. A Tiny Particle | ____________________ |
| 4. Leave Out | ____________________ |
| 5. One Detail | ____________________ |
| 6. A Girl's Name | ____________________ |
| 7. Most Important | ____________________ |
| 8. A Unit of Measure | ____________________ |
| 9. To Cut Up | ____________________ |
| 10. Not Closed | ____________________ |
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
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. KELLY RIDER
Try this game when reviewing information about story characters, famous people from history, or current newsmakers. Write the names ofpeople students are reviewing on separate slips of paper, and allow one for each child. Choose one student to start the game. Without letting him or her see the name, tape a slip of paper on the student's back. The child shows the name to classmates, then tries to figure out the famous person's identity by asking questions of the class. Students may ask only questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no". For example, "Do I play sports?" or "Am I the leader of a country?" When the student discovers his or her secret identity or has asked 10 questions, remove the name tag and choose a new player. GERTRUDE PARKER
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. KELLY RILEY
Oxymorons are phrases which 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. KELLY RILEY
Look at the words written on the board. Notice each word is written in a style that illustrates the meaning of the word itself. Try to think of more words of this style. When you have finished your seatwork today you may design some new words. I will select the best ones and add them to this section of the chalkboard.
Portmanteau words are created by blending two words, Lewis Carrollused portmanteau words in his poem "Jabberwocky" - chortle (from snort and chuckle) and 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 which were blended to create the new word, and uses the portmanteau in a sentence. Ask students to create portmanteaus based on their interests - vidames (video games) or draint (draw and paint).
Using large art page, draw words in thick letters. Students can color in each letter individually with different designs (polka dots, horizontal stripes, curves, etc). Create a large bulletin board or wall art out of the most difficult words.
Teams of four students are given the red flag words (difficult words) of a lower grade level. Team Goal: Devise an unusual way to help younger students to memorize the words. Roles: Leader -- keeps group on target; Artist -- leads in designing any posters; Encourager -- Praises team members; Helper -- Assists the leader and the artist.
In a number of words you can change the meaning
by simply changing one vowel. For example, by changing the vowel in PAT,
we can make PET, PIT, POT, and PUT. In each of the items below three definitions
are given. Each definition indicates a change in the vowel. All the sets
contain either three-letter words or four-letter words.
1. Something to wear on your head _______, to strike ________, a small house
________.
2. To move slowly or sluggishly _______, a large piece of wood _______,
pull or haul ______.
3. Light brown ________, a number _________, a metal _____________.
4. To hit lightly ________, the pointed end _________, uppermost _____________.
5. Something to wear on your head ________, a policeman _______, an utensil
for holding liquids _______.
6. A valley _______, a plaything _______, not bright _______________.
7. An object used in a ball game ________, to wager _______, a small piece
_________.
8. Juice in the stem of a plant _______, to drink a small amount _______,
to eat the evening meal ________.
9. High __________, to plow __________, a tax paid for some privilege _________.
10. To be without something _________, to pass the tongue over ________,
good fortune ________.
Teacher writes five words on board and sets timer for five minutes. Students begin a story using at least three of the words. When the time is up, all pencils are down. Students switch papers. Five new words are written on the board. Set the timer again. When the time is up, put down the pencils. Switch papers again. Add five more words on the board. Hand papers back to story orginator who has time to finish the story.
On your chalkboard draw a football field like the one pictured. Divide your class into two teams and give each a few minutes to choose a team name. Put the names on the board and you're ready for the kickoff! Flip a coin to see which team will go first. Give the first team a word to spell and let members huddle for a predetermined amount of time (30 seconds). Then one of the team members must spell the word. If the word is spelled correctly, put a check beside the 10-yard line. Play continues until the first team misses a word or reaches its own 10-yard line. When a team reaches its own 10-yard line, the next word is then worth six points.
At this point, the team has 10 seconds to huddle and decide if it wants a hard word or an easy one. One child, without help from the others, must spell the word. A hard word is worth two points for the conversion. An easy word is worth only one for the kick. One way to differentiate between hard and easy words is to say that an easy word is one that's been on a previous spelling list. A hard word is one that students haven't had yet.
If a team misses a word, it has to "turn over the ball" to the other team, who starts from the 10-yard line on the opposite side.
To add a little strategy to the game, let each team call time-out and go into a huddle to decide if it wants to stop its procession down the field and go for a field goal, that is, spell a word for three points and then turn the ball over. Allow only three time-outs per half. Set a penalty of 10 yards for being in a huddle too long. Make sure you set a time limit for the length of your game before you begin. Paul Sikora
Teams of four select five words from their wordbanks or review spelling lists. The teams meet and split the words into two piles. The teams then select a pile and break the team into pairs. Working together they write a story using their words. One story is turned back to the teacher from each pair. One student in the team reads the two stories to the entire team.
Each week an upper elementary team is given the word list from the lower elementary classroom. It is their job to write a cloze story using the words. After editing by peers and the teacher, the story is placed on poster board. The words are placed on cards. The younger class uses the poster board as a learning center. They place the cards on the correct blank on the poster. They must also spell the word aloud before going on to the next cloze pattern.
Teams of four are randomly assigned. Each student selects five words from their team wordbanks.
Team Goal: Use these twenty words to design a team crossword puzzle.
The spelling glossary will be the source of definitions.
The finished product will be xeroxed and laminated for use by other teams.
Strips of paper are given to a team of three. These strips are marked off in boxes. The team writes the spelling words on the strips. The team lays out the strips to design a crosswoord puzzle. Later the team can transfer the puzzle to large graph paper.
Teams of three are assigned a learning center idea.
Team Goal: Build the learning center and use it to teach younger children.
Learning Goal: Each team is given a particular list of red flag words (word demons) to use in the learning center.
Students are divided into competing teams. The host passes out the cards with the words on them. The contestant tries to draw a picture that gives a clue to the word. If his time can guess the word, they must spell it. Points are given for correct guesses and correct spelling.
Get the bugs out of those spelling bees. Try team spelling. It's a cooperative activity that keeps all students in the game. 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, then the captain reports the team's decision. A correct answer scores one point. If a team answers incorrectly, proceed to the next team with a new word. Elizabeth Hagner
Objective: Quick thinking and correct spelling. A team game for grades 5th - 7th.
Establish a goal of six or ten points for a game, and a time limit of four slow counts or four seconds for the hesitant speller.
Direction: Each child is given one or two letters of the alphabet. The teacher pronounces a word to team one. The letters of the telegraph begin to respond in proper order. If the response is correct, they get one point and another word to transmit. The opposing side gets a word when:
1. a member of the team has failed to give a letter in the four-second time limit or by four counts.
2. if the completed word was misspelled.
3. someone on the team "helped" to spell the word. Example: The word is "battle". The letters respond in proper order, B A T T L E.
Scoring: One point is scored for each correctly spelled word; a game is eight or ten points.
Variation: A group game for primary grades. Letters used or needed for the spelling of the teacher's list are printed on 2 by 6 inch cards. Each child receives a card. The teacher pronounces a word. The telegraph letters take their places in the proper order at the front of the room.
Word list questions: Structural Analysis 1. Which word has the same consonant three times? 2. Which word has the most letters that go below the line? Before Test Five minutes for spelling preparation time Set timer- Students sharpen pencils, number their papers, and can study words with a friend Have a Surprise bonus word on the test. No one knows what it is in advance. Can go with curriculum or be a "wild" card word. If it is wrong - it effects nothing. If it is right - it can replace an incorrect word on your test. After tests are handed in, the teacher writes the word on the board.
Some shun sunshine. Do you shun sunshine? The sun shines on the shop signs. A big black bug bit a big black bear, making the big black bear bleed. The old cold scold sold a school coal shuttle. Sheila snickered as she slowly shrugged her shoulders. A skunk stood on a stump. The stump thunk. The skunk stunk. But the skunk thunk the stump stunk.
Design a get-well card for a word badly damaged by misspelling. Give the card to a friend who is having trouble with that word.
No Scrambling UNBEARABLE ---- BEAR EAR ABLE A BE ARAB With Scrambling (Have each letter written on separate cards) How many new words can you discover from UNBEARABLE?