With the school year well underway, students are getting into the routine of weekly spelling words. And sometimes, it can certainly feel like a frenzy- the monotony of the same practice over and over or the last minute panic when your child remembers that their test is tomorrow! At Academics Plus, we believe that learning can always be fun. Below are some fun, creative activities that we love to use with our students at Academics Plus and can help your child practice their spelling words at home in unique ways!

Bounce each word out with a playground ball! For example, the word "luminous" would be bounced out "lu-mi-nous, l-u-m-i-n-o-u-s, lu-mi-nous". Bouncing the words in syllables, as well as spelling out each letter, helps students hear the specific sounds each syllable makes and breaks the word into more manageable pieces. Ball bouncing activates the cerebellum, creating more neural connections and increasing cognitive efficiency and memory!

It is so important to break down each spelling word into syllables! In the photo below an instructor writes a spelling word on the white board, broken down into syllables. The student then copies the words three or four times. The instructor or student then erases the white board and the student tries to write the word correctly from memory, but with his eyes closed! He loves the added challenge and the repetition, combined with the funny task of trying to write "blind", truly solidifies the words in his memory!

If you have a small sandbox at home (or you can make your own sensory tray with a baking pan and sugar or salt), have your child write their words in the sand! Children always love to play with their hands and "get dirty" and adding a sensory component to spelling word practice enriches their learning. This would be fun to do with shaving cream or bathtub finger paint as well!

Have your child write their spelling words with their feet instead of their hands! No pencil required, but bare feet on carpet adds an excellent sensory component! We also love to take our white board off the wall and write the spelling word on the board. Then, the student gets to erase the white board with his sock! Remember to erase in the same direction as you would write!

If your child is a Brainjogger, wearing their headset while practicing spelling can help further increase auditory processing and recall. You can also enter their spelling words into their word lists each week so that when they Brainjog, they are naturally practicing their spelling words at the same time! We love to input their words into our program, so remember to share their list with our team each week.

However you choose to practice spelling words, make it fun! Your child will have better recall and you'll both have fun together along the way!