Games for the Classroom

• Fourth graders like competition. They will benefit from spelling games that allow them to compete against each other individually and in teams. A spelling bee is competitive, but there are creative ways to make this game different. For example, the teacher can divide a class into teams of five to seven students and have them stand in rows or stay seated in a row. The teacher dictates the word, and the first person in the row says the first letter, the second person says the next letter, and then continue until the word is spelled. The same rules that apply to regular spelling bees can be used, except that the person(s) who gives the wrong letter has to leave the team. For motivation, the teacher can award prizes or bonus points to every person on the winning team.
  
  Spelling races between teams are also fun. The teacher dictates a word, and two students compete to see who can write the word correctly on the board first. Spelling jeopardy is another variation of the spelling bee. The teacher acts as the host and reads the definition of a word from the weekly list. The student has to answer by spelling the word in the form of a question. For example, the teacher says, "This word means something that poses a danger." The student answers, "What is a h-a-z-a-r-d?"
  
  

Online Resources

• The Internet has many games and activities for students, teachers and parents. There are sites where the child or adult can type in the weekly spelling list, and word searches and crossword puzzles are generated that can be completed online or printed for the entire class. Many spelling curriculum publishers have interactive games that are already designed with the spelling words from each unit of the book. This is a great time saver for teachers and parents who want fun ways to study with their child.
  
  The are also many interactive games that help build spelling skills. Students can choose different types of words like contractions or plural nouns and choose the words that are spelled correctly. This also helps them learn word and spelling patterns. There are also games with words that have missing letters or words to unscramble or put in alphabetical order. All these options are fun ways to practice spelling and improve vocabulary and word use skills.