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.
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.
This capitalize it activity for 1st to 3rd grade has children sort 24 lowercase word cards into proper and common nouns, with a practice page and answer key included to sharpen capitalization.
Using the Blends, Digraphs, and Trigraphs Activity, students create lists of words that have beginning and ending blends, digraphs, or trigraphs.
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.
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.
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.
This CVC word mats activity helps preschool to 2nd grade students build and spell short vowel words with letter tiles, with a practice page and an answer key included.
This beginning consonant blends activity gives Kindergarten to 2nd Grade readers 12 picture clip cards, a recording sheet and a practice page, with an answer key included, so they can hear and write r-, l- and s-blends.
In this blending s blends activity, 1st and 2nd grade children match 15 picture cards to word cards, then sort the words by sn, sk, sl, st and sp. Answer key included.
This blends mini book activity lets 1st and 2nd grade children make a travel book, write the blend for each picture and use each word in a sentence. Answer key included.
This contractions activity has 1st to 3rd grade students sort cookie cards into jars by the word the apostrophe stands for. Answer key included for quick checking.
This brick breaker consonant blends activity has 1st and 2nd grade students spin a blend and break picture bricks that begin with it. An answer key is included for each game mat.
UsingSound Hound Sounding Out Words Activity, studentsplay Sound Hound to practice sounding out words with three sounds (3-4 letter words).
This feeling bright great and proud r consonant blends activity has 1st-2nd grade students sort 20 balloon word cards by br, tr, gr, fr and pr. Answer key included.
Using Rhyming Words Bingo Activity, students Play BINGO to practice identifying and listening for rhyming word pairs.
Sort picture seashells into sand pails with the Seashells by the Seashore Consonant Digraphs Activity, a fun 1st and 2nd grade phonics game. Answer key included, so kids can check every sound.
This St. Patrick's Day blends activity is a memory game for 1st and 2nd grade: match rainbow word cards that start with the same blend. Practice page and answer key included.
This consonant digraphs activity has children match ch, sh, th and wh picture cards to word cards, with a memory game and practice page for kindergarten to 2nd grade. Answer key included.
Using Don't Break the Ice Long Vowels Activity, students play Don't Break the Ice to practice identifying long vowels in words.
Patterns make spelling easier
Second graders learn that spelling follows patterns. They spell words with blends and digraphs (sh, ch, bl, str), vowel teams like ai, ee, oa, silent e, r-controlled vowels and common word families. They add endings like -s, -es and -ed and learn when to change the spelling. They also memorize tricky high-frequency words that don't follow the rules. The click comes when a student spells a brand new word correctly because they know the pattern, not because they memorized it.
Spelling sticks through pattern work, daily practice and lots of word play.
Teach one vowel team at a time, then play a quick game where kids sort words by the team they hear: boat, rain, feet. The competitive twist means they practice reading and spelling the patterns over and over.
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).
Try it withVowel Teams GameGamesOpen it →Five minutes each morning beats one big Friday test. Kids practice the week's words in a new way each day: write, define, sentence, sort. Short daily reps lock patterns into memory.
Why it works: spreading practice out over days is one of the two most effective study methods in a major research review (Dunlosky and colleagues, 2013).
Try it withSpelling Soup Primary Daily WorksheetWorksheetsOpen it →Set up a station with letter tiles. Kids build a word, change one letter to make a new word, and write each one: cat, hat, hate, late. Seeing how one letter changes everything builds pattern sense.
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.
Try it withWord Work ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Spelling practice can be loud and fun. Try these.
ActivitiesPop up and shout a word with the blend on your card. Fast, silly and great for review.
Open Popcorn Blends Activity →
ActivitiesTurn singular words into plurals and decide: just add -s, or add -es?
Open Plurals Activity →
WorksheetsGroup words into families like -ight and -ake, then add your own members.
Open Spelling Word Families Worksheet →Teacher favorites right now: Popcorn Blends Activity, Plurals Activity and Capitalize It Activity.
Blends, digraphs, vowel teams, silent e, r-controlled vowels, common word families and endings like -s, -es and -ed. Kids also learn high-frequency words that don't follow the rules.
Many classrooms use 10 to 15 words built around one or two patterns. Quality matters more than quantity, so choose words that share a pattern.
Practice a little each day: write the words, build them with magnets, sort them by pattern and use them in sentences. Avoid one long cram session the night before.
Some tricky words need memorizing, but most words are easier when kids understand the pattern. Teaching patterns helps them spell words they've never studied.
Loved by 2 million teachers & families
Printables, songs and games for every subject, Preschool through 6th. Ready to teach today, and kids beg for more.
