A Cheer for Spelling
November 05, 2003
When I present spelling words, I write them on a whiteboard in red and blue markers. I use red for vowels and blue for consonants. Then I have the students write them in their notebooks the same way. It’s easy to emphasize patterns in the words this way. I can also extend this activity by having students use PopCubes or SnapCubes to “build” the words.
Again, the patterns in the words are very easy to see! Another extension activity is to get the students “bodily/kinesthetically” involved in spelling the words. Have Students stand up with enough elbowroom to clap over their heads and below their waists. Teach the students to clap over their head for vowels, and below their waist for consonants. Students then chant the spelling of the word while they move their arms to clap — either up for vowels or down for consonants. So, the word cat would look like: clap down for “c,” clap up for “a,” and clap down for “t” while spelling the word out loud. It sounds like cheering is going on in the classroom.
If you have access to a computer that is connected to a large TV screen, you could make a PowerPoint presentation to visually show students the words on the screen. On the PowerPoint, the letters of the words zoom in and are written in red and blue. It’s an awesome, fun learning experience enjoyed by all!