Engaging Spelling Activities

Teaching first graders to spell is a big task! Spelling activities are something we work on daily to help students learn lots of new words. Since we spend so much time on spelling lessons, they must be presented in engaging formats for my students! If you're looking for some low-prep, fun, and engaging spelling activities, you're in the right place! Come along as I share my favorites! 

How to Make Spelling Activities More Fun

My top tip for making spelling fun in the classroom is to mix it up! First graders are a busy bunch of kiddos with shorter attention spans, so adding some variety to your lessons will really help keep things interesting. In my classroom, spelling activities are woven into our days throughout the whole year. As children master specific spelling words, we move on to new ones. 

We use all kinds of fun activities to master each set of spelling words including:

• daily practice worksheets 

• hands-on practice (playdough, shaving cream, etc.)

• magnetic letters

• flashcards

• games

• fun worksheets 

I have lots of tips for using these activities but my very favorite is to use some kind of worksheet with a familiar format. The reason I love using predictable, familiar worksheets is to promote independence among my firsties. Since we'll be working on spelling all year long this is a great way to cut down on the time needed to explain the activity and jump right into learning. In my class, I have a few tried and true spelling activity worksheets that work really well for my students. 

Find and Write Worksheets

To get started with a brand new set of spelling words, I like to familiarize my students with the words first. Typically, I'll introduce each word slowly, writing them out on the board or adding them to our word wall. Next, I have my kiddos work on making their own set of flashcards or writing the words down in their journals. This is also a great time to practice building words with magnetic letters to match the flashcards.

 

After this quick introduction, we start with a spelling worksheet that asks kiddos to find and color words on a page. After they find each word, they write it as well. This is wonderful opening activity to work on visual discrimination and spot differences among the words. 

Another variation of a visual discrimination activity that we use is a word search page. This spelling activity takes a little more skill to spot the words, so it's great to use after kiddos have been well-introduced to the new set of spelling words. After the kiddos find each word in the word search, they can write the words below for even more practice.

Secret Code Spelling Activities

Do your students like to solve secret codes? Mine sure do! Over the years, I've found this spelling activity to be such a great way to learn new words as well as continue to practice beginning sounds. These worksheets ask students to write the first letter for a variety of pictures. Once they write all the letters, the secret word is revealed. 

I extend this activity a bit further by having kiddos then label pictures that display each spelling word. The visuals often help my firsties remember their spelling words. This activity is great for center time or independent learning. You can take this one step further by asking kiddos to write a sentence using each word on the back of the page or in their journals. 

Roll & Spin Spelling Activities

Another great way for students to get plenty of practice identifying and writing spelling words is through "spin and write" or "roll and write" worksheets. I find that either of these spelling activities is perfect for center time since kiddos can be independent with these worksheets. 

The roll and write worksheets I use also ask students to write a sentence with at least one spelling word. This is a great way to improve comprehension of the spelling words and help kiddos tie meaning to them. I've found this often helps with the memorization of each word as well!

Hidden Spelling Words

Year after year, everyone's favorite spelling activity in the whole bunch is our "Hidden Spelling Words" worksheets. These pages feature a picture with all of their spelling words hidden in the scene. The print is small, so it takes a little effort to find each one.  

To make this extra fun, I provide kiddos with small, plastic magnifying glasses from the dollar store. This extra step is optional but guarantees far more engagement, so I never skip it! Students will use their magnifying glasses to find each word and then write them below. After students are finished, they can color the picture. It's amazing how engaged students will be when you hand them a magnifying glass and one of these hidden spelling activities.

Using These Spelling Activities

When it comes to spelling, practice makes progress! We weave through these spelling activities week after week to learn new words in a fun way. In my classroom, this means we use 4-5 of these spelling worksheets each week. Typically, I'll offer an introduction to each new list during small groups or as a class and then sprinkle these worksheets throughout the week. 

Over the years, I've found that using these predictable worksheets really helps my students when it comes to learning a new list of spelling words each week. That's 10 new words a week! These worksheets also align with Benchmark Advance, so they are a great addition to your lessons if you use their curriculum. 

Whether or not you use Benchmark Advance, these worksheets are such a great way to help your students learn new words week after week. If you'd like to try these engaging spelling activities out in your classroom, you're in luck! 

Grab a FREE Week of Spelling Activities and get started with these fun worksheets in your classroom. Your students will love these engaging worksheets and you'll love how simple, no-prep worksheets can help them master new words each week! 

Grab the Spelling Activities Bundle

Love the idea of weekly spelling activities as much as I do? You can grab ALL of the Spelling Activities and be set for the whole year! Simplify your spelling lesson plans and help students grow in ability each week! 

Save This Post

Pin this post on your favorite Pinterest board to keep these spelling activities handy!