Spelling Strategies for Third Grade
1. Magnetic Letters:
Description: The same activity can be performed with word stamps.
Purpose: Working with magnetic letters helps students who are tactile learners and those who do not like to erase because it is messy.
Directions: For students who are really weak with spelling, preselect letters and put them in a pile. First work with word families (onset and rimes) that have the CVC pattern (ex: at, ap, am, an, and up families):
1. Select magnetic letters to spell the word and then pronounce the word.
2. Have the student pronounce the word and then you both pronounce it slowly, drawing out the sounds.
3. Mix up the three letters and ask the student to spell the word again.
4. Return the original letters to the pile and tell the student another word from the same word family.
5. For the second word, ask the student to find all three letters from the pile; they should not merely change the first letter, because it is important that they see four or five words with the same pattern.
Description: The same activity can be performed with word stamps.
Purpose: Working with magnetic letters helps students who are tactile learners and those who do not like to erase because it is messy.
Directions: For students who are really weak with spelling, preselect letters and put them in a pile. First work with word families (onset and rimes) that have the CVC pattern (ex: at, ap, am, an, and up families):
1. Select magnetic letters to spell the word and then pronounce the word.
2. Have the student pronounce the word and then you both pronounce it slowly, drawing out the sounds.
3. Mix up the three letters and ask the student to spell the word again.
4. Return the original letters to the pile and tell the student another word from the same word family.
5. For the second word, ask the student to find all three letters from the pile; they should not merely change the first letter, because it is important that they see four or five words with the same pattern.
2. Variation: Anagrams With Alphabet Cereal:
Description: Manipulating and eating letters can make spelling an enjoyable task.
Purpose: Using anagrams made with alphabet cereal is a tasty way to play with words.
Directions: You spell one word for the student, and by adding, deleting, or rearranging one letter at a time, the student creates new words.
Description: Manipulating and eating letters can make spelling an enjoyable task.
Purpose: Using anagrams made with alphabet cereal is a tasty way to play with words.
Directions: You spell one word for the student, and by adding, deleting, or rearranging one letter at a time, the student creates new words.