It’s the beginning of a spelling game series! Today’s game features short a and a-e words.
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Teaching spelling.
Bleah.
Do you ever feel that way?
For me, school spelling instruction meant boring workbook pages and easy tests. As a natural speller, I never studied for a spelling test. The only time this got me into trouble was for the test with ie and ei words. I always got a few of those wrong.
Later, as a teacher, I saw first hand that many students (like many adults) do not have a natural aptitude for spelling. Just as anything technical zooms right over my head, spellings just didn’t stick for some of my students.
I kept assigning those weekly lists to the whole class and assigning the same boring workbook pages.
Because what else was there to do?
Enter this gem!
In graduate school, I learned a different way to teach spelling, with the wonderful book Words Their Way. I liked it so much I began teaching my students in spelling groups using the lists and games recommended in the book. (Psst… the book is now on its sixth edition. I’m still using the 4th edition, which is great.)
Even though my children learn through traditional spelling tests in school, I like to create spelling games for them at home using the lists in the appendix of Words Their Way. (Because I like teaching my kids, and why should their teachers have all the fun?)
Stay tuned, because we’re beginning a weekly spelling game for kids learning long vowel spellings. This is the Within Word Pattern spelling stage, if you’re interested. 🙂 (And if you’re really interested, be sure to read this post about the different spelling stages.)
If you haven’t noticed, I’m moving into low or no-prep games these days. Because I know you’re busy, and so am I! This one fits into the “no-prep” category – yay! Just print the game board and grab some paper, pencils, a die, and playing pieces.
Take turns rolling the die and moving your playing piece around the snake. When you land on a picture, name it. Then spell it on your paper. The pictures are of either short a words (like bat, pan, and cap) or a-e words (like snake, cake, and grape).
Bonus! If you spell the word correctly, think of a word that rhymes. Then spell it correctly on your paper and move ahead a bonus space.
The first to End, wins.
Since I was playing this with my son, I was able to check his spellings for accuracy. When you have students paired up for this game, they will need to check each other’s spellings and bring a spelling to you if they’re not sure if it’s correct.
Have fun – and stay tuned for many more free spelling games!
Other free spelling games:
- Game 1: Snake Race (short a, a-e)
- Game 2: Rainy Day Spelling (short a, a-e, ai)
- Game 3: Train Game (a-e, ai, ay)
© 2015 – 2018, Anna G. All rights reserved.
Sally says
October 10, 2015 at 7:44 amlove your ideas thanks for your ideas
Anna Geiger says
October 17, 2015 at 7:22 pmYou’re very welcome, Sally!
Dayana says
May 13, 2016 at 10:03 amHere’s an important question. You say you played this with your son but that would mean playing *against* your son. How is it even a competition when one is playing against the teacher? I’m asking because I tutor and for each game where we compete, I always make sure to make it comparing our luck, our speed, memory or other strategies – never who’s a better speller.
Anna Geiger says
May 13, 2016 at 10:08 amIt’s not really a competition. It’s just practice disguised as a game. Since a lot of it depends on the roll of the die, it levels the playing field. I don’t always win.
Dayana says
May 13, 2016 at 10:27 amThank you for the quick reply! I love your games and they inspire me to create even more of my own! 🙂