I don't make too many bones anymore about my spelling. At my age, it is what it is; and so, I’m honest about it when anyone asks. I’m average in this department, which is why the word processor is, for one like me, practically the single greatest achievement of Mankind.
Spelling is one of those things about any language that seems to polarize many people. Rather than try to defend one side or even straddle the fence (sounds ridiculously dangerous) I’m going to avoid the discussion altogether and offer a recommendation for those who want to spell well and swell.
Use the tools available to you and your children. The word processor is an amazing device –truly. The mistake made, as I often witness in classes, is that students either A: do not use it, or B: use it haphazardly. In the latter instance, they’ll select whichever spelling “looks” right. That “looks-right” approach is invariably employed, not because they cannot sift through to the proper spelling, but because it’s expedient to pick it. Still, as useful as all the built-in dictionaries have become, they don’t teach students to spell better in general.
Enter SpellingCity.com. This website has been gaining some traction. My immediate thought about the site is that it’s far too busy with its advertisements and simply needs a much cleaner look to it. Hopefully, they’ll do something about this. I’m also left thinking there’s nothing original about how the website helps its users improve as spellers. Looks and lack of imagination aside, this is a great website to practice spelling.
Site users can input and keep list of words or choose from a teacher produced list to practice their spelling. In the Teach Me mode, students see and hear each word spelled on the screen before them one word at a time. This is followed by the use of the word in a complete sentence. Once a student believes he is ready, he then selects the Test Me mode. The student then spells the word said on the screen. He is also able to hear the word repeated in a sentence. This is exactly the kind of practice I remember receiving as a child. The teacher read spelling words aloud, used them in a sentence, and I was asked to practice spelling them out (10 times for each word. 20 when I was naughty.) for a quiz. But, this is not all.
SpellingCity.com also allows students to Play a Game with the words from the spelling list being practiced. Make that play many games using the spelling words.
Spelling is one of those things about any language that seems to polarize many people. Rather than try to defend one side or even straddle the fence (sounds ridiculously dangerous) I’m going to avoid the discussion altogether and offer a recommendation for those who want to spell well and swell.
Use the tools available to you and your children. The word processor is an amazing device –truly. The mistake made, as I often witness in classes, is that students either A: do not use it, or B: use it haphazardly. In the latter instance, they’ll select whichever spelling “looks” right. That “looks-right” approach is invariably employed, not because they cannot sift through to the proper spelling, but because it’s expedient to pick it. Still, as useful as all the built-in dictionaries have become, they don’t teach students to spell better in general.
Enter SpellingCity.com. This website has been gaining some traction. My immediate thought about the site is that it’s far too busy with its advertisements and simply needs a much cleaner look to it. Hopefully, they’ll do something about this. I’m also left thinking there’s nothing original about how the website helps its users improve as spellers. Looks and lack of imagination aside, this is a great website to practice spelling.
Site users can input and keep list of words or choose from a teacher produced list to practice their spelling. In the Teach Me mode, students see and hear each word spelled on the screen before them one word at a time. This is followed by the use of the word in a complete sentence. Once a student believes he is ready, he then selects the Test Me mode. The student then spells the word said on the screen. He is also able to hear the word repeated in a sentence. This is exactly the kind of practice I remember receiving as a child. The teacher read spelling words aloud, used them in a sentence, and I was asked to practice spelling them out (10 times for each word. 20 when I was naughty.) for a quiz. But, this is not all.
SpellingCity.com also allows students to Play a Game with the words from the spelling list being practiced. Make that play many games using the spelling words.
Alphabetize- asks the students to put the spelling list into alphabetical order
Hang Mouse- basically hangman using the words –except no one is hanged. Of course, if you fail to spell the word soon enough, the cat captures the mouse. (The mouse is cute, but if you’ve ever had mice in your home, you’re kind of rooting for the cat. Same if you’ve watched enough Tom & Jerry cartoons.)
Word Search – yep, a word search containing all of the spelling words
Matching sentences – the word has to be matched to a sentence with a blank in it
Unscramble – the words are arcmblesd and need to be unscrambled
The list of games goes on. None of these games are novel but that’s not the point. The aim is to have the students seeing, thinking, and spelling the words over and over until it’s easy. This type of repetition, which no one loves, is still the best way to improve our spelling, like it or not.
I think SpellingCity.com is a great way to improve spelling from home –even if it brings nothing new to the table.
I think SpellingCity.com is a great way to improve spelling from home –even if it brings nothing new to the table.
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