Skip to content
Start My 3 Free Days $0 today · cancel anytime

Spelling Resources

60 spelling resources: 28 activities, 19 worksheets, 6 test prep and more. How teachers use these

Spelling Resources

60 spelling resources: 28 activities, 19 worksheets, 6 test prep and more. How teachers use these

Game
Game2nd GradeVowel Teams Game

A soccer vowel teams game where second grade kids kick the ball at words with ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow, ie and igh, like rain, bee, boat and pie. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.

Game
Game1st GradeShort Vowel Review Game

A farm egg-catching short vowel review game where first grade kids catch the eggs with short a, e, i, o and u words like cat, hen, pig, pot and sun. Play online on any phone, tablet, Chromebook or computer.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeFixing Sentences Worksheet

This Fixing Sentences Worksheet gives 2nd graders eight sentences to rewrite with the correct capital letters and end marks. Includes a complete answer key — perfect for no-prep grammar and editing practice.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeCorrecting Capitalization Worksheet

This Correcting Capitalization Worksheet gives 2nd graders six sentences to fix, rewriting each one with capital letters for names, places, months, and sentence beginnings. Answer key included for quick, no-prep grammar practice.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeProofreading Worksheet

This 3rd grade proofreading worksheet has students hunt for and fix eight misspelled words in a fun garden paragraph. Answer key included — perfect for quick, no-prep spelling and editing practice at home or school.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeSpelling Words Worksheet

Students use this spelling words worksheet to add onsets to the -ock, -est, and -ool rimes, then sort nine words by family. Built for 2nd Grade with an answer key included, so spelling patterns finally stick.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenPopcorn Blends Activity

In this popcorn blends activity, K-2nd Grade children spin a blend, sort 12 picture cards into popcorn boxes and fill in a practice page, with an answer key included for quick checking.

Workbook
Workbook3rd GradeNew Jersey NJSLA-A 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook

A NJSLA-A 3rd grade ELA practice test workbook for teachers, with a pretest, skill practice for all 19 standards, mixed review and 2 full-length practice tests. Answer key included, so test prep is ready to go.

Workbook
Workbook3rd GradeSmarter Balanced (CAASPP / SBAC) 3rd Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook

A Smarter Balanced (CAASPP / SBAC) 3rd grade ELA practice test workbook for teachers, with a pretest, skill practice for all 24 standards, mixed review and 2 full-length practice tests. Answer key included, so test prep is ready to go.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeSpelling Word Definitions Worksheet

This Spelling Word Definitions Worksheet gives 2nd grade students four meanings to match to a word box and four ABC order questions, with an answer key, so spelling practice builds real word knowledge.

Activity
Activity2nd GradePlurals Activity

This plurals activity is a bee memory game where children match words that end in y to their ies plurals. Made for 2nd and 3rd grade, with a practice page and answer key included.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenWord Work Activity

This word work activity lets kindergarten and 1st grade students build CVC words with color-coded consonant and vowel tiles, then write each word. An answer key is included for quick checking.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenDear Valentine Activity

This dear valentine activity has K-2nd grade students pick heart word cards for family and school helpers and spell each word on a Valentine card. Answer key included.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenBlends, Digraphs, and Trigraphs Activity

Using the Blends, Digraphs, and Trigraphs Activity, students create lists of words that have beginning and ending blends, digraphs, or trigraphs.

Worksheet
Worksheet3rd GradeProofreading Spelling Errors Worksheet

Third graders proofread five sentences, a short paragraph, and two rewrites to catch and fix misspelled words with this proofreading spelling errors worksheet. An answer key is included for quick checking.

Activity
Activity1st GradeCapitalize It Activity

Using Capitalize It Activity, students sort the topic cards into Do Capitalize and Don't Capitalize categories.

Workbook
Workbook5th GradeSmarter Balanced (CAASPP / SBAC) 5th Grade ELA Practice Test Workbook

A Smarter Balanced (CAASPP / SBAC) 5th grade ELA practice test workbook for teachers, with a pretest, skill practice for all 24 standards, mixed review and 2 full-length practice tests. Answer key included, so test prep is ready to go.

Activity
Activity1st GradePlucking Blends L Blend Activity

This l blend activity has 1st and 2nd grade students match picture cards to word cards and sort words by bl, cl, fl, pl and sl. Answer key included.

Activity
ActivityKindergartenConsonant Digraphs CH SH TH WH Activity

In this consonant digraphs ch sh th wh activity, Kindergarten to 3rd Grade students sort 16 picture-word cards by their first sound, with an answer key included for easy checking.

Worksheet
Worksheet2nd GradeHanukkah Scramble Worksheet

This Hanukkah Scramble Worksheet gives 2nd grade spellers six jumbled holiday words, a word box to check against and a long line for every answer. An answer key is included, so children can score their own spelling.

From our teachers' playbook

Sound it out, write it right!

What do kids learn about spelling?

Spelling grows alongside phonics. Kindergartners and 1st graders spell simple words by sound, like c-a-t, and then learn blends and digraphs like "st" and "sh." In 2nd and 3rd grade, kids learn vowel teams like "ea" and "ai," silent e, and spelling rules for adding endings like -ing and -ed. Older kids spell longer words by breaking them into syllables and using prefixes, suffixes and word roots. Along the way, kids learn to proofread their own writing for mistakes. The click moment is when kids stop spelling by guessing and start spelling by patterns.

Our favorite ways to teach spelling

Spelling sticks when kids understand patterns, not just memorize lists. These moves do exactly that.

Play with patterns

Use a game to practice one spelling pattern at a time, like vowel teams. Kids sort words by pattern before they write them. Seeing "rain," "pail" and "snail" together makes the "ai" pattern obvious.

Why it works: in a well-known study, a few short sessions of a simple number board game measurably boosted young children's number skills (Ramani and Siegler, 2008).

Vowel Teams GameTry it withVowel Teams GameGamesOpen it →

Spelling soup, every day

Give kids a short daily spelling page instead of one big test on Friday. Each day mixes this week's words with a few from earlier weeks. Spreading practice out helps the words stick long after the test.

Why it works: short practice spread over several days beats one long session, according to a large review of learning research (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).

Spelling Soup Primary Daily WorksheetTry it withSpelling Soup Primary Daily WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →

Word work centers

Set up a center where kids build spelling words with letter tiles, then write them and use them in a sentence. Building the word letter by letter makes kids think about every sound.

Why it works: the U.S. Department of Education's guide for teaching elementary math recommends moving from hands-on objects to drawings to numbers.

Word Work ActivityTry it withWord Work ActivityActivitiesOpen it →

Questions parents and teachers ask us

How do I help my child with spelling?

Focus on patterns instead of memorizing lists. Group words that share a pattern, like "night" and "light," and practice them together. Short daily practice works better than cramming before a test.

What is the best way to practice spelling words?

Have kids say the word, spell it out loud, write it and then use it in a sentence. Building words with letter tiles and sorting them by pattern also helps.

At what age should a child spell correctly?

Spelling develops over many years. Young kids use "invented spelling" based on sounds, which is normal. Most kids spell common words correctly by 2nd or 3rd grade and keep learning harder patterns after that.

Should kids use spell check?

Spell check is a helpful tool, but kids still need to learn spelling patterns. Teach them to proofread first, then use spell check to catch what they missed.

Keep exploring