How to Help Your Child Develop Spelling Skills: Kid Spelling

by · August 9, 2021

All children learn to spell in their own way, but there are a few ways that you can help them. One important piece of the spelling puzzle is to have your kids learn how to spell words using phonetic sounds of the alphabet letters. There’s no need for complicated spelling rules – just have them sound out words and use letter combinations they know well. This will get them thinking about how letters relate to one another, which is an important part of learning how to read as well!

What is kid spelling?

Kid spelling is a way of teaching children how to learn and spell words by using the sounds in each alphabet letter. In kid spelling, kids learn how letters are combined with one another to form different sounds for certain words. Kid spelling can be used as an educational tool that will give your child more knowledge about reading words phonetically when they learn to read and write.

As soon as kids are ready to ask, “How do you write…” or “How do I spell…” you can ask, “What sounds do you hear?”

Have your child “stretch the sounds” in the word, saying it slowly to hear all of the sounds.

Should I correct my child’s spelling?

No, not yet! It is best to let your child learn how to spell words on their own. Help them hear the sounds in a word by saying it slowly and emphasizing each sound. In time they will learn which sounds certain letters can make in different combinations of words. 

Writing Development

How to honor your child’s writing and provide the correct spelling:

Sometimes, a child will write a word and recognize that it does not look right. They may have seen it in books before and have a vague idea of how it should look. A great tool in this case is a “have a go” page, where your child can do their best to spell the word and then you can provide the correct spelling next to it. 

This is a great way to learn about spelling patterns and all the different sounds that letters can make. It also teaches your child that writing words does not always come easy, but with practice they can learn how to spell any word!

What opportunities can you create for practicing spelling? 

Word sorts are a fun way you can help your child to notice spelling patterns through games. Write words with two different spelling patterns (e.g., long a sound with ai, ay, or a-e) on small pieces of paper. Flip them upside down and then take turns flipping one over, reading it, and sorting it with similar spelling patterns.

Silly Sentences are a fun way to learn spelling patterns. Write a sentence with two or more words that have the same spelling pattern (e.g., short i sound or oo sound).

There are lots of fun online games for practicing spelling. Here are some Spelling Games from PBS Kids.

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