Spelling Activities to Use With Any Word List
When I was growing up my least favorite subject in school was spelling. Each week we had a new spelling list of 10 words, and each week we had to write each word 5 times and use it in a sentence. It seemed to be the same spelling activities, year after year. I wasn’t a bad speller, but I just couldn’t make myself get excited or even a little happy to sit down and write my words A.G.A.I.N.
My Philosophy on Spelling
I’m pretty sure it was my dislike of repetitive spelling activities as a child that helped to form my philosophy on spelling as a teacher. I know that spelling is an important skill for my students to have. I also know that some skills, like spelling and math facts, require repeated practice and some memorization. What I don’t believe is that repeated practice and memorization have to be boring.
When I started teaching I knew that spelling would be different in my classroom. Over the years I set out to make spelling something that my students looked forward to and found to be fun. I have tried so many different spelling activities with my students, some with great success, and some that were not.so.much.
I also learned something else over the years, students were more invested in their learning when they had a choice. There was something about giving students the ability to choose a topic or an activity that engaged them in the learning process. I started including more and more choices in my classroom and I saw some amazing things happening with students of all skill levels and abilities. This was the beginning of Spelling Choice Menus.
How I Made Spelling Fun & Engaging for Students
I decided to take 16 of my student’s favorite spelling activities and put them all together on a bingo-style board. Then I handed them out to my students and challenged them to complete 4 in a row before their spelling test. Well, maybe it was more of an assignment, but they jumped to the challenge!
My students were so engaged in reading all of the options. Then, little by little, I started hearing whispers of “Yeeeessssss!” and “I love rainbow writing.” After that, I heard someone say, “This looks so fun!”
My students started passing their spelling tests with flying colors. They were excited about spelling and so was I. Later, I created another spelling choice board, but this time I added new activities and challenged them to complete as many as they could for extra credit.
Many students stepped up to the challenge and completed every single square on the choice board. That’s 16 spelling activities – with a smile and excitement. I’m pretty sure that if I told them we were going to have 16 spelling assignments this week the result would not have been the same. But this time – it was their choice!
Spelling choice menus became a staple in my classroom. What started as a little experiment ended with a classroom full of excited and happy students.
Speller’s Choice Menus
I have pulled together over 90 of these student-approved activities and put them together for you. If your students love choice boards, then they will be thrilled when you assign them one of these Speller’s Choice Menus!
These six EDITABLE spelling menu boards contain 96 meaningful activities students can choose from that will reinforce consistent spelling instruction throughout the entire year.
- Use with ANY WORD LIST!
- Editable and versatile!
- Easily change the text, create your own, or rearrange the activities to fit your needs.
- 96 different spelling activities included!
These menus are so versatile because they can be used with any word list. They are perfect for weekly spelling homework, in class practice, or even a spelling or word work center. Students can use notebook paper or the provided printables to complete each activity.
Never Again Search for Meaningful Spelling Activities
Easy to use – Just PRINT & GO! Step-by-step directions are included! It’s easy to assign a number of spelling activities that must be completed or you can assign the final shape or outcome such as:
- Complete 4 in a Row (vertically, horizontally or diagonally)
- Create an X or a Plus Sign
- Complete 2 lines that are parallel to each other
- Complete 2 lines that are perpendicular to each other
- Black-Out
- Give a menu for one month with each row being a different week
If you are looking to add some spice and excitement to your spelling assignments, these Speller’s Choice Menus and Activity Sheets are your one-stop shop! I know your students will love them!
Still not sure if these spelling menu boards are the right fit for your classroom?
The printable activity pages are optional. All activities on the Speller’s Choice Menu Boards can be completed on notebook paper. The printable matching activity pages are optional. This helps you save paper and copies!
Assign a spelling choice board and a certain number of activities to be completed each week. Students can use their assigned spelling list to complete any of the activities on notebook paper.
Wondering how to set up these activities? It’s so easy!
Each Speller’s Choice Menu has matching printable activity pages. (Unless it’s a computer activity – 6 are included throughout the six boards.)
- Print the matching activity sheets and assign them to students.
- Add them to a literacy or word work center.
- Organize file folders and labeled them with the menu board number and name of each activity so students can easily access the activity pages they need.
Worried that some choices may not work? You can change that!
Each menu board is editable in PowerPoint! Don’t have PowerPoint? No problem! Upload these Speller’s Choice Menus to your Google Drive and edit in Google Slides! Change the text, create your own, or rearrange the activities to fit your needs.
LOOK AT ALL OF THE AMAZING OPTIONS INCLUDED!
6 EDITABLE spelling menu boards with 96 meaningful activities that students can choose from! Easily reinforce consistent spelling instruction throughout the entire year.
Spelling instruction for the entire year is made easy with these fun and engaging activities that can be woven into your daily routine.
Save for Later!
Pin this to your favorite classroom Pinterest board so you can find these Speller’s Choice Menus later. Your students will thank you!
This Post Has 2 Comments
Love these ideas. Thank you!
Thank you! I’m so glad you found them helpful! 🙂