Mrs. Gussey's
3rd Grade Class
What is Speller's Choice?
"Speller's Choice" is what we will use for spelling homework assignments in our class. Speller's Choice will allow your child to choose the types of activities to complete with his/her spelling words. Please assist your child in choosing activities that are appropriate for his/her level. Speller's Choice includes a variety of activities for all levels of "spellers". If your child struggles with our weekly spelling tests, please encourage him/her to choose activities that require repeated writing of the words; for example: Rainbow Words, ABC Order Words, or Pyramid Words. This will help give your child the extra practice needed for learning the spelling patterns of our words. If your child has already mastered most spelling patterns and can spell our weekly words already, encourage him/her to choose activities that will challenge him/her creatively; for example: 30 Second Words or Secret Agent Words.
On �Speller�s Choice� nights, you may choose from the activities listed below. Each activity has been assigned a point value. Your activities MUST add up to 4 or more points by the end of the week. You can choose one or more items to do each night, so that you could possibly earn all of your points in one night, or you may spread them out over all of the �Speller�s Choice� nights during the week.
Complete the activities you choose in your spelling notebook. You must use your Spelling Words for these activities (not Word Wall Words, however it may be helpful to include those with your Spelling Words). Make sure you have your parent write a note in your spelling journal if you completed an activity with an * beside it. The * activities do NOT have to be completed in your Spelling Journal. You only need to have a parent note in the journal.
One Point Activities
- ABC order- Write your words in alphabetical order.
- Reversed words- Write your words in ABC order -backwards!
- Rainbow Words- Write each of your words in three.
- *Cheer your words- Pretend you are a cheerleader and call out your words!
- Backwards Words- Write your words forwards, then backwards.
- Picture words - Draw a picture and write your words in the picture.
Two Point Activities:
- Silly sentences - Use all of your words in ten sentences.
- Pyramid Words - Write your words adding or subtracting one letter at a time. The result will be a pyramid shape of words.
- Ransom words - Write your words by cutting out letters in a newspaper or magazine and gluing them into your spelling journal.
- Words-in-words - Write your words and then write at least 2 words made from each.
- Magazine words - Use an old magazine or newspaper, and find your word. Cut it out, and glue it into your spelling journal.
Three Point Activities:
- Story words - Write a short story using all of your words.
- 30 Second Words - Write a TV commercial using all of the words from your list.
- *Popsicles - Make your words using popsicle sticks.
- Secret Agent Words- Number the alphabet from 1 to 26, then convert your words to a number code.
- *Etch-A-Word - Use an Etch-A-Sketch to write your words.
- Telephone Words - Translate your words into numbers from a telephone keypad.
- *Sound Words - Use a tape recorder and record your words and their spelling. Then listen to your tape, checking to see that you spelled all the words correctly.
- *Pasta Words - Write your words by arranging alphabet pasta or Alphabits.
- *3D words - Use modeling clay rolled thinly to make your words.
Each activity that you choose should have these headings at the top of your paper and you need to fill in the blanks for the activities you choose.
Name of activity______________________________________
Number of points I earned for this activity____________
When you have earned all of your points for the week, you should write the following:
The total points I earned this week ____________ Date: ___________________
9 Fun Ways to Practice Your Words
- Eating Your Words- Buy a box of alphabet shaped cereal at the store. Pour a cup of the dry cereal onto a table or plastic place mat. Pick out the five most difficult spelling words from your child�s weekly list and have him spell those words from the letters in the cereal. After you check his work, he is free to eat his words!
- Bathtub Spelling Practice- Get a package of foam letters for the tub. During bath time, call out a word and have your child spell the word by sticking the appropriate foam letters to the side of the tub.
- Sidewalk Spelling- On a nice day, take your child outside with a bucket of sidewalk chalk and call out her spelling words. She can write the words on the sidewalk and later go back and draw a picture to illustrate each word. The chalk washes off with water.
- Back Rub Spelling- this may grow to be one of your favorites! Both you and your child need to sit on the floor. She should be facing your back. As you call out spelling words, she will draw the letters on your back. This will not only give her the experience of remembering the spelling of the words but also give her practice forming the letters.
- Poker Chip Mix-up- Purchase inexpensive poker chips and write the letters of the alphabet on them with a marker. You will need to make several of the commonly used consonants and vowels. Choose the poker chips that contain the letters of one of your child�s spelling words. Give them to him without telling him which word and ask him to spell the word.
- Scrabble Spelling- Play a game of Scrabble, using your child�s spelling words.
- Go Fish- Grab a package of goldfish crackers and your child�s spelling list. Call a word out for your child to spell and each time she spells one correctly, she can take one gold fish cracker for each letter in the word. If she makes a mistake, she cannot take any until she is able to spell it without help.
- Word Processing Practice- Have your child use the computer to type his spelling words. Encourage him to use a different color, font, size or style for each word.
- Spelling Puzzles- Write each spelling word on a 4x6" index card with marker. Cut each card in half, creating a jagged edge on both sides. Mix up the cards and have your child sort them and find the match to complete the puzzle.
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