Spelling games and activities
A summary outline of the games and activities suggested for teaching spelling in the Spelling Bank, Progression in Phonics and Support for Spelling documents.
Card sort – can be done at tables or on bigger scale – stick words to balls and bean bags, stick words on climbing frame or trim trail so they have to retrieve the word before sorting it into the correct bucket.
Kims game - a selection of words or objects is displayed for children to study for a fixed amount of time them hidden or covered. Children then have a set time limit to recall as many of the objects or words as they can could be used for example with silent letters – look at words with, remember and add to the word without, look at word selection – recall and spell as many as you can. Could be used with root words that could be added to certain prefixes and suffixes, words that are synonyms etc
Definitions game – could be done as a card sorting or pairs game. Could make more practical as a target shot game e.g. words and definitions pinned to the wall – through a ball or beag bag to mark your pair. Retrieve words and meaning from trim trail or climbing frame. Must retrieve the correct pair of your run or you are out. Two buckets, boxes or other containers with balls in. words stuck to balls in one container, definitions in the other – like bobbing for apples, children rummage for a matching pair. Make into a team game or an against the clock activity
Antonym game – flash cards, rapid response, fastest finger type game – opposites
Antonym/synonym dominoes – make a set of dominoes – build the chain by placing synonyms next to each other. For suffixes e.g. ssion, tion etc – write root word on the domino – children match domino tiles by looking for words with the same suffix spelling e.g. discuss percuss – discussion and percussion (full word with suffix is not written on the domino – they must say it and decide for themselves.
Odd one out game – spelling patterns, synonym, homonyms.
Card Game – variation on Gin Rummy – collect sets of words with same spelling patterns. Make a set of cards with root words printed on them. Collect sets of words that follow the same spelling pattern when a suffix is added. Children play cards and try to get a set of three and a set of four from one family.
Hidden letters – guess the letter that’s hidden. Use magnetic letters, place post it’s over printed words, create giant words and chidren form the shape of the missing letter, target throw – identify the correct missing letter by throwing a ball into a bucket or at a target on the wall etc
Match/pairs/snap – compound words, same spelling rule, prefix/suffix and root word, word and definition, past and present tense forms
Card wheel – prefixes/suffixes on front wheel, root words on rear wheel – spin to make words and sort into real and ‘new’
Word hunt – find words that follow pattern or rule. Hunt through books, use ford cards, word search, and physical challenge e.g. like a treasure hunt around the classroom or playground
Find as many smaller words as possible using the letters in a long word
Synonym circus – VCOP games. Displays a word (can choose from 3 different levels) then hides synonyms behind four balloons. Give teams a minute to think of as many synonyms as they can. Pop the balloons and score a point for each word your team correctly identified.
Sound snap – snap words with different spellings but same sound
Beat the spellchecker – use the wrong homophone – can you fool the spell checker? Write sentences containing phonphones but use the wrong one – see if the spell checker spots your mistake e.g. I went to sea the see.
Human spellings - children were tabards or use printed letters or form letters using their body shape to spell out words. – mix this game with word ladders so children swap around, changing a letter at a time to create a new word.
Onset and rime dominoes – match onset with a rime that creates a real word.
Crossword puzzles – give clues to words that are on your weekly spellings list.
Create Where’s Wally style graphics or wordles with hidden words/incorrect spellings to find
Create mnemonics e.g. a pet sits on the carpet. It is necessary to have one collar and two sleeves on your shirt, Ron looks after the environment.
Beat out/clap/stamp syllables using instruments, drums, hands. Match words with the same number of syllables
Write 100/50 word/ 4 line story/silly saga using spellings of the same rule – create a competition for the silliest saga or the story that includes the most words from the spelling list/following the spelling rule
Card sort – by sound, spelling, letter string, meaning, prefix, suffix, common root word etc. Use cards or make activities as practical and physical as possible.
Show me flashcards – correct suffix, a suffix that works, which spelling rule, correct variation of a contraction its or it’s, correct homophone – sea or see? Fastest finger or relay style game
Jigsaw words – create jigsaw pieces and build words by finding the pieces that fit together.
Word sums – cargo + s = cargoes
Bingo – allocate a spelling rule, prefix or suffixes written in squares – pupils place cards or write spellings in a square marked with the correct spelling rule
Speedy dictionaries – timed challenge to find information about words and spellings in a dictionary
Postboxes – post words/picture cards into the correct postbox based on spelling patterns and spelling rules.
Word ladders – change one word into another by changing a letter at a time over a number of steps e.g. cough – rough – bough – bought – brought. Full circle – start with a word, change a letter at a time, aim to end up back at the start with the same word. This Is a phonics game for words like hop but could be used with root words and prefixes/suffixes so the word is changed everytime. Make the game a race against the clock.
Create riddles
It’s a knock out style word competition – 2 children face each other and take it in turns to give words that follow a pattern or rule e.g start with pro, I before e etc – no pauses, hesitations or incorrect answers.
Pass the pebble – pass an object round the group, each child must give a word following the rhyming pattern or word class focused on. Knock out until you have a winner or change the rhyme when someone breaks the chain.
Tray game –selection of objects with the same initial or final phoneme plus some random objects. Children and put objects with the correct final or initial phoneme on the tray, in the bag/box etc
Swap shop – phonemes, letters strings, spelling patterns, prefixes, suffixes, synonyms, antonyms, homophones, homonyms – children have objects or word cards. When sound or spelling pattern or rule is called children with matching cards get up and swap places with each other.
Jump the hoop/pirates/four corners – each hoop, side of the room, corner is designated a phoneme, pattern or rule. Children have objects and jump into the hoop/run to the right corner or space if their word or object fits the pattern. Or call a word and children go to the corresponding area/hoop/corner.
Split words up – cut and stick them into phoneme/syllable/onset and rime/small words in big words frames