• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Course
    • Teaching Every Reader
  • Subscriber Freebies
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shop
  • Member Login

The Measured Mom

Education resources for parents and teachers

  • Alphabet
  • Reading
    • Structured literacy
    • Printable Books
    • Pre-Reading
    • Phonics
    • Sight Words
    • Comprehension
    • Fluency
    • Vocabulary
  • Writing
    • Grammar
    • Handwriting
    • Spelling
    • Writing in Pre-K
    • Writing in K-3
  • Math
    • Counting
    • Number Recognition
    • Addition & Subtraction
    • Colors, Shapes & Patterns
    • Visual Discrimination
    • Time, Money & Measurement
    • Place Value
    • Graphs
    • Multiplication & Division
    • Fractions
    • Problem Solving
  • Book Lists
    • Letter of the Week
    • Early Childhood Themes
    • Pre-Reading Skills
    • Math Concepts
    • Writing Mentor Texts
    • Versions of Familiar Tales
    • Holidays and Seasonal
    • History
    • Leveled Book Lists
  • Join Membership
Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • Alphabet
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Math
    • Book Lists
  • Podcast
  • Courses
    • Teaching Every Reader
    • Teaching Every Writer
  • Subscriber Freebies
  • About
  • Membership
  • Contact

PSPKK12330 Comments

How kids can use spelling dictionaries

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Welcome back to the  12-part writing series between This Reading Mama and The Measured Mom!  We’ve finished revising our writing, and it’s time to move on to editing.  This is where kids fix spelling, grammar, and punctuation so that their writing is ready for publication.

But how can kids fix spelling when they can’t spell the words well enough to find them in a dictionary?

Use a spelling dictionary for kids.  Today I’ll show you where to find a kids’ spelling dictionary and how to teach your child to use it.

(This post contains affiliate links.)

Do your young writers have trouble fixing spelling because they can't look up the words in a dictionary? Get a spelling dictionary for kids.

Simple Writing Lesson #9: 

Use a spelling dictionary for kids

(an editing strategy)

(Note: I taught this lesson to my daughter who is just beginning first grade. You can easily adapt it to students in other grades.)

When to use it:

When your writer is editing her story for publication.  She has a lot of misspelled words and isn’t ready to find them in a regular dictionary.

How to teach it:

1. Prepare your materials.  You will need:

  •  your child’s writing that is ready to be edited
  • pencil
  • How to Spell It
  • a free copy of My Spelling Dictionary (get it at the end of this post)

2. Introduce the lesson.  Here’s how it sounded at our house:

“You’ve worked hard to make this story about the garden your best work.  Now it’s time to go back and fix some things. I can see some words that are misspelled.  Today I’m going to show you how to fix them.”

3. Have your child read the story and circle potentially misspelled words.

Spelling comes easily to my six-year-old, so it was easy for her to find and circle most of the misspelled words. From my classroom experience, however, I know this is not always the case. Some children will circle words that are clearly correct or pass over words that are hardly recognizable!  Your child may need guidance with this step.

Also keep in mind that you want this task to be manageable.  If your child has 20 misspelled words, tell her to pick 10 to circle.  Or maybe just 5.  The point is to learn how to fix misspellings – not to overwhelm her  into producing a completely accurate paper that does not reflect her true ability.

Do your young writers have trouble fixing spelling because they can't look up the words in a dictionary? Get a spelling dictionary for kids.

4. Introduce the spelling dictionaries that your child can use to check misspellings.  Guide your child to find the misspelled words and correct them in his or her writing.

Do your young writers have trouble fixing spelling because they can't look up the words in a dictionary? Get a spelling dictionary for kids.

The first dictionary we used is the free “My Spelling Dictionary” that  I shared earlier this year. (Get it at the end of this post.)  This is a great resource for young spellers because it contains the most commonly used words in kids’ writing.  You won’t find words like spaghetti, but you will find words like above, also, and because.  You’ll also find lots of blank space for kids to add words they use in their writing.

Do your young writers have trouble fixing spelling because they can't look up the words in a dictionary? Get a spelling dictionary for kids.

My daughter loves her spelling dictionary.  I actually printed a new copy for the sake of this picture because her old copy is full of words — mostly the words that are already there, which she likes to recopy.  (She also likes to cuddle up on the couch with a thesaurus.  This love of words is hereditary.)

She was able to fix wait on her own and found also in My Spelling Dictionary.  Instead of erasing, I had her write the correct spellings beneath the incorrect ones.  It’s so important to leave a record of your child’s progress in her writing notebook — which you won’t have if she erases her mistakes.  Drawing a single line through errors is always preferable.

Do your young writers have trouble fixing spelling because they can't look up the words in a dictionary? Get a spelling dictionary for kids.

The next dictionary she used is awesome for kids because it’s full of misspelled words – really!  You can look up words as you phonetically spell them so they’re easier to locate.  Correct spellings are in red.  With some guidance from me, my daughter could find garden, strawberry (I helped her with the plural form), and raspberry.

This dictionary, called How to Spell It, was written by Harriet Wittels and Joan Greisman and published in 1973.  I bought new copies of this about 10 years ago, but I’m not finding them new on Amazon.  Thankfully, you can still buy them used.  If you are a classroom teacher, buy a bunch! If you homeschool, consider buying a few so that you have an extra if one wears out! I can’t say enough good things about this dictionary.  It was an indispensable resource in my classroom.  If you know of a newer version or a similar dictionary, please let us know in the comments!

5. Know when to stop.  

Looking up words in a dictionary is exhausting for young writers.  Even though we hadn’t made it through every word, my daughter was tired and shutting down.  We might get to the last words before publishing this story (that lesson is coming in two weeks!), but no worries if we don’t.  She learned an important skill, and as she practices it she’ll get better and better.

Stay tuned for next week’s lesson, when This Reading Mama will share another simple writing lesson for the editing stage. To see all our lessons, click on the image below.

simple-writing-lessons-for-primary-grades-themeasuredmom-thisreadingmama

Free Spelling Games

Get this fun variety of sample spelling games from the membership site! The download includes resources for spelling CVCE words, long vowel teams, and multi-syllable words.

Sharing is caring!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Spelling, Writing in K-3, Writing Tagged With: first grade, second grade, third grade

You May Also Enjoy These Posts:

Simple writing lessons for the primary grades 5 Tips for Launching Writing Workshop Make an expert list: A prewriting strategy
Monster Math Games & Activities – with loads of free printables for preschool, kindergarten, and first grade
Free letter book: Rhymes & Songs for Letter M

Reader Interactions

30 Comments

  1. Karen Simes

    November 16, 2018 at 9:26 am

    Thank you so much for all of the wonderful resources! I teach Special Education and am always looking for different things for my kiddos. It is great to find a site with so many great things on it. Thank you!!!!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna G

      November 17, 2018 at 8:46 am

      You’re welcome, Karen!

      Reply to this comment
  2. Connie Gomz

    June 13, 2015 at 1:13 pm

    Thank you for your wonderful ideas and worksheets.

    Reply to this comment
  3. Jill

    October 9, 2013 at 9:41 pm

    This is a great resource for young learners and those that have problems with spelling. Thank you for sharing and for linking up this week to the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop 🙂

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      October 12, 2013 at 8:12 am

      Thank you, Jill!

      Reply to this comment
  4. Kim @ In Our Write Minds

    October 8, 2013 at 12:57 pm

    Great post! How to Spell It is still on my bookshelf after 25 years. It was an awesome resource for my kids during our homeschooling days; I’d forgotten about it. Time to pull it down for the grandchildren!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      October 12, 2013 at 8:12 am

      That’s great to hear, Kim. I wish someone would republish it!

      Reply to this comment
  5. Missy

    October 5, 2013 at 8:30 pm

    I’m working on the writing process with my daughter in our homeschool this year. I had to go back and pin the first post in this series am planning to read them all to pick up some tips for helping her with her writing. Thank you for sharing this, Anna!

    I found your post through Teach Beside Me’s Share It Saturday.

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      October 12, 2013 at 8:11 am

      So glad this series is working for you, Missy!

      Reply to this comment
  6. Susan Evans

    October 4, 2013 at 10:43 am

    I should do more spelling exercises with my daughter. She’s constantly asking me how to spell things!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      October 5, 2013 at 5:37 am

      My spelling Pinterest board has lots of ideas, Susan – it’s where I go when I’m looking for a new one 🙂 http://www.pinterest.com/themeasuredmom/spelling-made-fun/

      Reply to this comment
      • Susan Evans

        October 5, 2013 at 9:38 am

        Thanks for the link to the spelling Pinterest board! 🙂

        Reply to this comment
  7. Alicia - Beanie N Us

    October 3, 2013 at 8:11 pm

    This is a really useful resource, thank you so much for sharing. My daughter is an early reader and is pretty good at spelling but I did not think of having a structure to help her along. I am on another tab, downloading the dictionary as I am typing this. :p

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      October 5, 2013 at 5:32 am

      I’m so glad you can use it, Alicia! Thanks so much for commenting.

      Reply to this comment
  8. Linda

    October 3, 2013 at 10:15 am

    i’m really enjoying this writing series. And love the kids’ spelling dictionary. Thank you for getting all these posts down for us to use!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      October 5, 2013 at 5:32 am

      You’re very welcome, Linda! Thanks so much for following along!

      Reply to this comment
  9. Kirstylee

    October 2, 2013 at 11:32 am

    This is great! Thanks for offering your spelling dictionary for free. My Kindergartener is just a bit too young for this still, but it won’t be long now before he is ready. I can’t wait to use this with him!

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      October 5, 2013 at 5:31 am

      You’re welcome, Kirstylee! I also have a spelling dictionary without any words that kids can use to collect words. It has a picture cue for each page. My five year old loves to write in it. It’s in the same post as the other dictionary.

      Reply to this comment
  10. Natalie

    October 2, 2013 at 8:17 am

    Great post and resources. Smarty’s class is currently learning how to use various resources – thesauruses, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and atlases. I also want to get her an electronic spelling dictionary, do you have any thoughts on them?

    Reply to this comment
    • Anna Geiger

      October 5, 2013 at 5:30 am

      Hi Natalie,
      No I don’t have any experience with an electronic spelling dictionary, but that must be the wave of the future. I remember sitting down with a paper thesaurus in high school as I completed my assignments, and now I just push Shift F7. I think as soon as my kids are able to type on the computer (no hunt and peck!) we’ll move into electronic resources. For now I think there’s value in searching through a paper book.

      Reply to this comment

Trackbacks

  1. 3 Ways to Improve Writing Efficiency at Home - Integrated Learning Strategies says:
    May 8, 2019 at 10:45 pm

    […] proper places to use commas, but someone out there does. The Internet is filled with websites and blogs with simple helpful tips on any writing topic you might need to know about. Ask any writer and […]

    Reply to this comment
  2. Correct Your Spelling: A Simple Editing Strategy {Week 9} says:
    July 14, 2016 at 1:31 pm

    […] words conventionally. And that’s what Anna, of The Measured Mom, is sharing about today: correcting spelling by using a kids’ spelling dictionary. Hop on over to check it out! […]

    Reply to this comment
  3. Hearts for Home Blog Hop #38 | Hopkins Homeschool says:
    October 10, 2013 at 9:28 am

    […] Help Young Writers Edit: Get a Spelling Dictionary for Kids! from The Measured Mom […]

    Reply to this comment
  4. Hearts for Home Blog Hop #38 | Following In His Footsteps says:
    October 10, 2013 at 6:52 am

    […] Help young writers edit-Get a spelling dictionary for kids! from The Measured Mom […]

    Reply to this comment
  5. Hearts for Home: 10/10/13 | Water on the Floor says:
    October 10, 2013 at 5:02 am

    […] Get A Spelling Dictionary for Kids […]

    Reply to this comment
  6. Hearts for Home Blog Hop #38 » Godly Glimpses says:
    October 10, 2013 at 4:40 am

    […] The most popular link last week was from The Measured Mom: […]

    Reply to this comment
  7. Pumpkin Pancakes with Hearts for Home Link Up - Simply Helping Him: Marriage Experience from a Help Meet says:
    October 9, 2013 at 11:06 pm

    […] most viewed post from last week was “Help Young Writers Edit: Get a Spelling Dictionary for Kids!” by The Measured […]

    Reply to this comment
  8. Simple Writing Lessons for Primary Grades Series says:
    October 9, 2013 at 4:26 am

    […] Editing Strategy: Use a Kids’ Dictionary (The Measured Mom) […]

    Reply to this comment
  9. Use a Checklist: A Simple Editing Strategy {Week 10} says:
    October 9, 2013 at 4:24 am

    […] S is for Spelling: Go through your work and circle words that you think you may have misspelled. If they are sight words or phonics patterns we’ve studied, correct them. {Write the correct spellings with your marker.} You may also want to use The Measured Mom’s free spelling dictionary. […]

    Reply to this comment
  10. Correct Your Spelling: A Simple Editing Strategy {Week 9} says:
    October 2, 2013 at 5:26 am

    […] words conventionally. And that’s what Anna, of The Measured Mom, is sharing about today: correcting spelling by using a kids’ spelling dictionary. Hop on over to check it […]

    Reply to this comment

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Grade Level Key

  • PS Preschool (ages 2-3 years)
  • PK Pre-K (ages 4-5 years)
  • K Kindergarten
  • 1 1st grade
  • 2 2nd grade
  • 3 3rd grade

Hello, I’m Anna!

Welcome to The Measured Mom. I’m so glad you’re here!

Meet Our Team

Free Spelling Games

Get this fun variety of sample spelling games from the membership site! The download includes resources for spelling CVCE words, long vowel teams, and multi-syllable words.

Shop our store!

Writing Workshop Guide K-8

$26.00

330 Handwriting Worksheets

$10.00

Phonics Books & Games – Complete Set

$49.00

Shop all resources

Members get more!

The Measured Mom Plus is the perfect online membership for Pre-K to third grade educators.

Learn More

Love Freebies?

Subscribing to our email newsletter is completely free. And when you do, you'll get access to our library of subscriber freebies! Sign up below to get access to a wonderful variety of math and literacy resources.

Join our online course and get the tools you need to teach every learner in K-2!

Confidently teach every reader in your classroom. Still have time to live your life.

Learn More

Listen and subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher

Check out these recent podcast episodes:

  • What does the research say about alphabet instruction? with Dr. Shayne Piasta
  • What is set for variability? A conversation with Dr. Marnie Ginsberg
  • How to help students improve language comprehension – a conversation with Dr. Karen Dudek-Brannan
More Episodes

Check out these FREE email courses...

Get strategies and tools to teach a particular topic with a free 5-day email series! Just click an image to sign up. We recommend signing up for just one at a time.

For Pre-K Educators

How to teach phonological & phonemic awareness

How to teach phonological & phonemic awareness

Learn how to develop this important pre-reading skill with a free 5-day email series!

How to teach preschool math

How to teach preschool math

Learn exactly what to teach your preschoolers in this free 5-day series!

For Kinder & 1st Grade Educators

How to teach kids to sound out words

How to teach kids to sound out words

Learn my top strategies for teaching kids to "sound it out"

How to teach sight words

How to teach sight words

Get strategies and tools for teaching sight words to young learners!

Tips for teaching phonics

Tips for teaching phonics

Sign up for our free 5-day email series to learn what phonics skills to teach and how to structure your phonics lessons!

For 2nd & 3rd Grade Educators

How to build reading fluency

How to build reading fluency

Learn smart strategies for helping your learners become fluent readers with this free 5-day series!

How to build reading comprehension

How to build reading comprehension

Discover the essential reading comprehension strategies for 2nd & 3rd grade and how to teach them!

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” –Matthew 6:33

Copyright © 2023 The Measured Mom •  All rights reserved  •  Privacy & Disclosure Statement  •  Site Design by Emily White Designs