Thursday Night Last Minute Spelling Test Tips!

Today's Tip!
It is Thursday and some teachers have end of the week spelling tests.  How do you study and prep with your child last minute?  Yes, I know last minute studying is frowned upon, but let's get real.  Life happens all too quickly and maybe the perfect study habits did not unfold this week.  Do NOT give up hope and resort to yelling or making your child write the words a thousand times each.  Here are some fun ways to practice words that make sense:
1.  Use legos to help spelling.  Children love legos, so why not play and learn.  Select two different, contrasting colors of legos of similar size and shape.  You only need about ten in each color .  Have your child use a light color for consonants and a dark color for vowels.  Have your child say the word, spell it out using the color coded legos, and connect the legos to build the word.  Then, they can repeat the word by spelling the word out while touching each lego in the word.  This habit increases student awareness of vowels and consonants, teaches vowel/consonant patterns, helps with visual memory, and teaches that each syllable has a vowel sound.  It is great for hands-on learners and visual learners.  I have used this for years now.  If you do not have legos use white and blue poker chips or math counters.  You can even use beans and noodles.  Just remember that the color contrast is important.  Keep this activity fun and repeat words often.  You can even have a race against the clock competition to build words.

2.  Dance to your words!  You can spell out words with dance moves.  To help teach double consonants, I often have my sons stand up and spell the word aloud.  When they have a double consonant in a word, they jump twice or high five twice.  Some of my students come up with clever cheers and dances to spell out words.  This is great for auditory learners and kinesthetic learners.  This method works best with repetition and a fun atmosphere.  We do not want to be a drill instructor and demand jumping jacks for each letter.

So, if you waited to the last minute to study, do something tonight to make next week a little more organized.  Take baby steps to study ten minutes a night.  Use my tips a few times a week to make Thursday a peaceful night for the family.

Many Family Blessings,
Abi