I have found the easiest way to learn spelling words and the bonus is that it can also be used for other things like vocabulary training as well!
As a mom who has several days of weeks homeschooling 3 kids, there is a necessity to find ways for kids to study things on their own {my kids go to school part-time and are homeschooled part-time}.
Or else I have to clone myself.
The good thing is that it is GOOD for kids to learn how to study on their own. The bad thing is that often the set up for independent study takes longer than the actual learning process.
Easiest Way to Learn Spelling Words Independently
But that is one of the reasons why I use SpellingCity.com for a ton of different independent drills. I wanted to share how I use Spelling City today despite never having contacted anyone at the site or ever receiving product or reimbursement. I have been a premium member of Spelling City for several years. There is a very robust free section that many of the activities I will mention today can be accessed and tried. I like the premium membership because it allows me to save lists and sign each of my kids up with a separate account under mine which keeps us very organized.
Oh, and the other thing that is awesome about Spelling City is they have an app. So, once I have entered a list, the kids can access that list for games and tests from my iPhone or their iPad making practicing their spelling words on the way to school a breeze.
Independent Spelling Practice
Obviously, Spelling City was set up for learning to spell words. There are a bunch of spelling lists already listed at the site, but the ones that my curriculum uses aren’t among them. What I do at the beginning of each lesson is to add the list and label it with the grade and chapter. It is easy to do in the “bulk” setting to add up to 50 words separated by commas.
Kids can take a practice spelling test at the beginning to see how many words they already know. I like to have them do this so we know how much time to devote to their spelling that week. The practice tests can be repeated over and over.
There are 6 free spelling games and 3 additional premium games in addition to a spelling ‘teach me’. It doesn’t take long for kids to learn their words amid all the fun.
Independent Vocabulary Practice
When you add a list of words to Spelling City, it suggests a variety of definitions. You can choose the definition that is most like the one from your child’s lesson or you can add your own.
Kids then can take a vocabulary test, practice and print flashcards or play games. The 5 vocabulary games are in the premium version and include a variety of games that test definition knowledge and the ability to use the word in a sentence.
These games are also available on the app.
Independent Flash Card Studying
My kids are bringing home all sorts of things that need to be studied on flash cards. I enter these words in the form of a list and then enter in my own “definition”. This week it was some Latin words that my 5th grader needed to learn. Last year I had a massive list of characters from Homer’s Odyssey that needed to be memorized.
It is helpful in both of those examples because these are things I don’t necessarily know off the top of my head!
Several of the vocabulary games are useful for these random related facts and being able to print off flash cards from the list is a quick solution to studying them offline.
Independent Alphabetizing Practice
There are other ways that Spelling City can be used. You may want to explore it further depending on what your family’s needs might be. One thing that I have used when the kids are in the lower grades is the alphabetizing activity. It is easy to set up and the kids can get some practice that is easier done online than on paper.
I don’t know what I would do with multiple kids at home without resources like this! It makes learning a variety of things at a variety of levels possible without me cloning myself.
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