I would like to present some of the games and activities I usually carry out during my ESL classes to help students learn the spelling of words they just learned. I have tried these games with students who are in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade but I consider that they can also be implemented with students who are a little bit younger or older. Some of these activities require moving around the classroom and standing up, so depending on the age of the students and classroom setting, the lesson can be more or less successful.
PD. Before I play the games, I tell them that we are going to practice the spelling of the new vocabulary so it will be easier for them to know how to write the words in order to win the game. I let them read and review the vocabulary on their own for 2 or 3 minutes. After that time, they are ready and willing to play and have fun.
1. ABC game:
I only carry out this game during the first weeks of school when students do not feel very comfortable saying the ABC. Students stand up and the stay behind their desks. In case of having a small group, children can form a line with their backs on the wall.
1. The student who is on the left side or is the first on the line will start saying the first letter
of the ABC.
2. Then, the next student will say the following letter of the word and so on.
3. If a student says the wrong letter or repeats the same letter, they will be out of the game
too and must sit down.
2. Sparkle:
1. The teacher reads one spelling word aloud.
2. The student who is on the left side of the classroom or the first in the line will start the
word by saying the first letter.
3. Then, the following student will say the next letter of the word and so on.
4. When the word has been spelled correctly, the next student in line says "Sparkle."
5. Those students who are next to the student who has said "Sparkle" will be out of the
game (luck plays an important role).
6. If a student says the wrong letter, they will be out of the game too and must sit down.
7. The student who wins will get a "life" that can be use when someone who is next to them
says "Sparkle" . However, the "life" cannot be used when the student misspells the word.
3. Spell it out and guess:
This is a good activity to review spelling of new and old words and to improve students' behavior in the classroom
1. Students are divided into two or three groups depending on the number of students in the classroom.
2. The teacher will pick one vocabulary word from the "spelling bag" and will spell it out.
Eg. H-E-L-I-C-O-P-T-E-R.
3. Those students who know the word will raise their hand.
4. The teacher will only select those students who raise their hand to say the answer
5. If the word is right, that team will get a point.
6. The team which gets more points will win.
4. Spelling detective:
I recommend to carry out this activity when students feel more or less confident with their spelling words, for example, as a review for a spelling test of right before moving to a new a spelling list.
1. Write on the board a enumerated list of no more than 10 spelling words.
2. Let students read and focus on this list for 1 minute.
3. Ask students to close their eyes for 15 seconds.
4. Erase one of the words and rewrite it with an incorrect spelling (not very noticeable)
5. Ask students to open their eyes and find the word with the incorrect spelling.
6. Students will write the word correctly on their own dry-erase board or in the notebook and
show it to the teacher.
7. Continue playing until you have reviewed every word.
5. Spelling Hangman:
1. Organize students in pairs. Each student will have a dry-erase board or a piece of paper.
2. Each student will choose a random word but they will not tell it to each other ( the teacher
will tell students how many letters the word should have). Each student will draw as many horizontal lines as letters the word they have chosen has.
3. A small bag or box containing the spelling words will be placed on the table.
4. The first student to begin playing will pick one word from the bag and say it aloud.
5. The other student will spell it out.
6. If the student spells it out correctly, he will have the chance to say one letter he or she
thinks the word chosen by their opponent has. If the students spells the word incorrectly,
he or she will miss their turn without saying a letter.
7. The student who guesses the opponent's word will win.
I will add more games and activities related to the teaching of spelling soon!
PD. Before I play the games, I tell them that we are going to practice the spelling of the new vocabulary so it will be easier for them to know how to write the words in order to win the game. I let them read and review the vocabulary on their own for 2 or 3 minutes. After that time, they are ready and willing to play and have fun.
1. ABC game:
I only carry out this game during the first weeks of school when students do not feel very comfortable saying the ABC. Students stand up and the stay behind their desks. In case of having a small group, children can form a line with their backs on the wall.
1. The student who is on the left side or is the first on the line will start saying the first letter
of the ABC.
2. Then, the next student will say the following letter of the word and so on.
3. If a student says the wrong letter or repeats the same letter, they will be out of the game
too and must sit down.
2. Sparkle:
1. The teacher reads one spelling word aloud.
2. The student who is on the left side of the classroom or the first in the line will start the
word by saying the first letter.
3. Then, the following student will say the next letter of the word and so on.
4. When the word has been spelled correctly, the next student in line says "Sparkle."
5. Those students who are next to the student who has said "Sparkle" will be out of the
game (luck plays an important role).
6. If a student says the wrong letter, they will be out of the game too and must sit down.
7. The student who wins will get a "life" that can be use when someone who is next to them
says "Sparkle" . However, the "life" cannot be used when the student misspells the word.
3. Spell it out and guess:
This is a good activity to review spelling of new and old words and to improve students' behavior in the classroom
1. Students are divided into two or three groups depending on the number of students in the classroom.
2. The teacher will pick one vocabulary word from the "spelling bag" and will spell it out.
Eg. H-E-L-I-C-O-P-T-E-R.
3. Those students who know the word will raise their hand.
4. The teacher will only select those students who raise their hand to say the answer
5. If the word is right, that team will get a point.
6. The team which gets more points will win.
4. Spelling detective:
I recommend to carry out this activity when students feel more or less confident with their spelling words, for example, as a review for a spelling test of right before moving to a new a spelling list.
1. Write on the board a enumerated list of no more than 10 spelling words.
2. Let students read and focus on this list for 1 minute.
3. Ask students to close their eyes for 15 seconds.
4. Erase one of the words and rewrite it with an incorrect spelling (not very noticeable)
5. Ask students to open their eyes and find the word with the incorrect spelling.
6. Students will write the word correctly on their own dry-erase board or in the notebook and
show it to the teacher.
7. Continue playing until you have reviewed every word.
5. Spelling Hangman:
1. Organize students in pairs. Each student will have a dry-erase board or a piece of paper.
2. Each student will choose a random word but they will not tell it to each other ( the teacher
will tell students how many letters the word should have). Each student will draw as many horizontal lines as letters the word they have chosen has.
3. A small bag or box containing the spelling words will be placed on the table.
4. The first student to begin playing will pick one word from the bag and say it aloud.
5. The other student will spell it out.
6. If the student spells it out correctly, he will have the chance to say one letter he or she
thinks the word chosen by their opponent has. If the students spells the word incorrectly,
he or she will miss their turn without saying a letter.
7. The student who guesses the opponent's word will win.
I will add more games and activities related to the teaching of spelling soon!
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