Can you make spelling homework fun?
One of the most common activities set as homework for children in primary school is spellings practise. Lists of commonly used words are given out depending on your child's age for them to learn how to spell. But given that nowadays if you give a child an iPad, they are more of a whizz on it than you are, in our tech-heavy world, are they even going to need to be able to spell? Why are they still learning spellings?
Well, let's break it down a little bit. The reason that children learn to spell these words isn't just so that they can get little ticks in a workbook, or because of some throwback to Victorian era schooling. There is more to it than that.
When we learn to spell we are practising learning ANYTHING. We see it, we read it, we understand it, we write it, then when needed we use our memory to recall it, so that we can use it correctly. That cognitive process is happening every time we learn to spell a new word and that is the process the teachers are encouraging our children to do, both in school and at home. The more they do this process, the better the brain gets at it. If they can then recall that information during a 'test' situation in the classroom then they are practising a process that they will go through many times in our education system when it comes to exams.
Now whether or not you agree with the system currently in place within our education system is another question all together but the point is that spelling is teaching them more than just the words. It's teaching them the process of learning.
If we can then support with that at home by practising those spellings with our children we are letting their little brains find ways to learn that suit them in their own environment. We are showing them how to research and revise and how to get support when learning something new. We are showing them that learning happens everywhere and it matters.
Spelling also supports our children with their reading which is crucial. It expands their vocabulary, introducing them to new words and their meaning on an almost daily basis. Their little brains are like sponges so now is the perfect time for them to get to grips with as much of our language as they can, which will carry them through life.
Now just because we've established that learning how to spell is incredibly useful, does that mean that our child has to sit at the table and write those spellings out 20 times on a LOOK, COVER, WRITE, CHECK black and white worksheet in silence? NO IT DOES NOT! Here at 2W2L, if we get those worksheets, they are left ignored on the side (unless the child is very keen to do them - some kids just are!). So what do we do instead to make spelling homework fun?
PLAY!!!
Just because we are learning something doesn't mean it has to be dull. In fact, by showing our children how to very simply, quickly and easily turn spellings practise into a game you are showing them that tricky things in life can be made more fun if you know how.
But I know what you're thinking. We are a busy family. Parents are working. We don't get loads of time to set up games. The worksheet is just easy.
At 2W2L, don't worry, WE KNOW. We get it. We are busy working parents too. That's why we have made it as easy as possible for you and taken out all of the thinking. We promise that it will be quicker to set up one of our games than asking your child to locate the worksheet in their soggy, raisin-filled bag, and then battle with them to get it done.
Our Spellings Guide is design to be fast and easy. We tell you all the equipment you need for two WEEKS worth of games at the beginning so you can go and grab those and have them ready. It's always stuff you will mostly likely already have at home anyway. Here is the spellings equipment list.
That's it. That's all you need for 14 different spellings games. And the videos explaining the games are just over a minute long. You just watch them on whatever device you've downloaded the guide on to, and then go. Spellings are suddenly fun.
And why does this matter? Well, making it playful and active matters for lots of reasons:
It means your child is not only learning but enjoying time with you. They are connecting and building confidence alongside someone they love.
The different types of game allow for the learning to take place in different parts of the brain. This is especially important for children with SEND, with diagnoses that might affect their working memory, like dyslexia, autism or ADHD. The more fun ways there are to learn it, the more chance they have of recalling it and staying regulated whilst doing so.
You won't have a battle. Just see our reviews! Parents explain how it turned spellings homework from something they dreaded doing into something they all enjoy.
Now if you aren't sure whether you need our guide why not download our FREE checklist first? This includes all of those common word lists for each age group throughout primary school so you can check to see which ones your child knows. Then you can decided whether the guide is for you.
Here's an example of one of the games. Warning though, we guarantee if you show this to your child they are going to want to play!! and then you're only a few clicks away from getting 13 more just like this!
Also, don't forget that if your child finds spelling a challenge because handwriting is tricky, then we have a guide full of games for that too. Sometimes children need to be fluent with their writing in order to help with spelling, so it's always worth considering one of our bundles which contains both guides for the lowest possible price.
So is spelling correctly the be all and end all of education? No, of course not and yes we know our kids will all have phones or laptops which can spell check in a matter of seconds. But the laughter and joy you get from playing and learning together? Well, no amount of AI or tech can ever replace that. So let's PLAY!
Comments