Inside: Our list of multi-sensory spelling activities and strategies to help your little ones master spelling!
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- Learning to spell: Let’s try a different way!
- Spelling activity 1: Segment and blend with flashcards
- Spelling activity 2: Use Phonics Frames (also called Elkonin boxes)
- Spelling activity 3: Word pictures
- Spelling activity 4: Playdough letters
- Spelling activity 5: Gem letters
- Spelling activity 6: Playdough letter stamping
- Spelling activity 7: Spelling steps
- Spelling activity 8: Magnetic letters
- Spelling activity 9: Word Laundry
- Spelling Activity 10: Thread the Words
- Common questions about teaching spelling
Learning to spell: Let’s try a different way!
Any grown-ups I speak to about how they were taught to spell in early childhood seem to recall very similar, very repetitive techniques of rote learning by copying out. Reflecting on my own childhood struggle of this not working for me, during my career as a primary teacher, I have been driven to teach spelling differently by drawing upon research about dyslexia. After all, spelling strategies for dyslexic learners are the best strategies for ALL learners!
Why bother with sensory spelling activities?
Just like the teaching of all phonics, the teaching of spelling relies on the connection being made in children’s brains between the grapheme (the letters on the page) and the phoneme (the sound we make when we read them aloud). The great news is, there are so many engaging ways to reinforce this connection. Diversifying the spelling activities and strategies not only stimulates our children's brains but also strengthens the neural pathways crucial for retention.
By using other resources other than pencil and paper, we take the pressure away from learning to spell. The stakes are lower; spelling errors aren’t recorded forever and we can just try again! Mistakes become less disheartening and the challenge of learning to spell becomes less intimidating.
Read on to choose from our cherry picked, tried and tested spelling activities:
Spelling words that follow the phonics rules
We start teaching our children how to spell with words that follow phonics rules. Teaching children to read and spell using phonics-based words provides a structured, systematic approach that builds foundational literacy skills. Phonics activities help children understand the relationship between letters and sounds. This offers consistency and predictability, making it easier for children to learn and apply spelling patterns to a wide range of words.
Spelling activity 1: Segment and blend with flashcards
- Use phonics letter cards to build a word for your child
- Segment the word by reciting the single letter sound for each. Slap the card with your hand or with a fly swat as you do so: “a, t”
- Then read the blended word “at”
Download our phonics uppercase letter cards and lowercase letter cards.
To increase sensory input further, you could also use a voice recorder device to record your child's voice as he or she sounds out and blends the word. Replay it to listen, whilst they simultaneously tap the correct sequence of letters on letter cards in front of them.
Spelling activity 2: Use Phonics Frames (also called Elkonin boxes)
- Draw a frame to fit the number of letters in the chosen word
- Provide your child with the letters needed on post its
- Read aloud the word and have your child stick the letters in the correct order
- Your child can then say the letter sounds aloud and blend the words
Related: Find tips to teach preschoolers the early reading skills to decode CVC words and a list of CVC words for preschoolers inside!
What about spelling words that don’t follow phonics rules?
Below, you will find ‘common exception’ words in some examples. By ‘common exception’, we mean tricky (or naughty!) words that do not follow phonics rules. However, the strategies in this list can be applied to the learning of all spellings, from early phonics for Preschoolers, to Big Kids and beyond!
Spelling activity 3: Word pictures
This technique works by linking illustrations to letters, encouraging your child to take notice of the shape of the letters. This increases visual stimulus, making the word more memorable.
Just write the word on a paper and insert the paper into a Dry Wipe pocket. Then encourage your child to draw pictures around the shapes of the letters.
Spelling activity 4: Playdough letters
Roll the playdough into long strips and shape it into the letters to form the words. Encourage your child to say put each letter as they mold it with the playdough. This hands-on, sensory approach enhances retention of the words.
Related: You may be interested in more Playdough Activities for Kids!
Spelling activity 5: Gem letters
Once more, this strategy appears to be a fun and creative task, but its effectiveness lies in extending visual stimulation.
Spelling activity 6: Playdough letter stamping
Encourage your child to roll out play doh to make ‘pancakes’, then use alphabet stamps to make the words. If you haven’t got any stamps to hand, you could always use alphabet magnets or alphabet beads!
Related: Want to make this activity portable and travel-friendly? Check out this Letter Matching with Play Dough in a Box!
Spelling activity 7: Spelling steps
Write the letters on sticky notes and paste them on the floor as ‘stepping stones’ or up a set of stairs in sequence. Have your child call out the letter or letter sounds, as they stride, jump or skip on each letter, reciting the whole blended word on a final jump.
Spelling activity 8: Magnetic letters
Write a new word on a magnetic board or the fridge door and invite your child to find the matching magnetic letters and attach them on the board or fridge door to spell the word.
Spelling activity 9: Word Laundry
Prepare the activity by securing a piece of ribbon to the wall as the ‘washing line’ and writing letters on sticky notes as the ‘laundry’. Call out a word and have your child find all the letters in the word. Attach the sticky notes in the correct order on the washing line to spell the word.
Spelling Activity 10: Thread the Words
Thread the letter beads to spell the words and hone their fine motor skills.
We hope you and your children enjoy trying out some of these creative spelling activities. Once your child has become more familiar with some of them, you could set up these spelling activities on a learning shelf and invite your child to be more independent in choosing their favourite activity.
To get the most benefit from these strategies, challenge them to practise spelling each word in multiple ways! Let us know how your child gets on with these spelling activities in the comments below.
Common questions about teaching spelling
To support children in mastering spelling, try these strategies:
- Encourage regular practice with spelling words using a variety of hands-on and sensory spelling activities
- Scaffold the learning process by beginning with simple phonetic words, progressing to longer words and finally to words that do not follow the phonics rules.
- Teach spelling in meaningful contexts by incorporating words from their favourite books or topics of interest
- Regularly review previously learned words for retention
We used to learn our letters from A to Z, but turns out, there is a better order to teach letters to children! Discover the best order to teach letters and gain valuable tips and activities in this insightful video. Also, try these hands-on, fun activities with your little ones to practise letter formation!
Progress through these tiers of difficulty at the pace that suits your little learner:
- 2 letter words (Consonant-Vowel, or C-V) E.g at, up, in
- 3 letter words (C-V-C) E.g. sat, ham, fan
- 4 letter words (C-C-V-C) E.g stop, snap, flip
- 4 letter words (C-V-C-C) E.g best, jump, felt
And at your child’s own pace, incorporate digraphs such as sh, ch, ck.
You can find more helpful phonics activities and printables on Happy Tot Shelf blog.
Some of the ideas in this post are inspired by the work of the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity, and a guide written by Hedda Fletcher and Marlene Caplan.
SOLANGE OLIVEIRA LUCAS DA SILVA says
Your work is wonderful. Thank you so much for the brilliant ideas.