10 Educational Games to Teach Spelling Skills and Inspire Joy
With all the ways children today can get help from technology, learning how to spell is in danger of becoming a lost art. Spelling is inextricable from reading, writing, communication, and understanding.
That is why it’s critical to ensure that kids don’t just lean on technology for spelling and really learn how to do it themselves. One of the best ways to facilitate this learning is through fun spelling activities.
Instead of offering kids a dry and unimaginative spelling lesson that can inspire disinterest in the subject, try to get creative. With some of these fun spelling activities for kids, you might be surprised at just how engaged they can become while absorbing the English language.
The Importance of Spelling Activities for Kids
While teaching children how to spell is not the subject of much debate, you might still be surprised by how significant an indicator of spelling ability can be for future literacy, even from preschool to kindergarten.
A 2019 study funded by the Australian Research Council found that a child’s spelling capabilities after kindergarten are “a significant predictor of later reading performance.” Children in this study had their spelling abilities assessed after kindergarten and their reading abilities evaluated after the first, second, fourth, and ninth grades.
The researchers found that those who struggled with spelling in their first assessment tended to struggle with literacy in subsequent ones. In other words, it’s never too early to look into the best spelling games you can find to get your child started.
Today’s world offers children multiple technological crutches that can prevent them from learning how to spell on their own. It is also rife with different communication styles — including text messaging, social media, and online forums — that devalue spelling. As a result, it’s on parents and teachers to continue extolling the virtues of this aspect of communication, and spelling activities for kids are a great place to begin.
It is important to remember that fun spelling games can better keep a child’s attention than a dry spelling lesson might; they can inspire a love of language in particular children. These games help them find the patterns in language, tap into and grow their vocabularies, and memorize some of the less-than-intuitive spellings our language offers.
The Best Spelling Games for Kids
Here are just a few of our best spelling bee games for kids to guide you through your mission to help children spell, read, write, and communicate well.
Spell Trek
This creative spelling-centric board game takes you and your child on an international sightseeing adventure with exciting animals. Players must complete spellings of the different animal names using vowel tiles to continue their progress. The first player to reach the end of the board is the winner.
Spell Trek may be your best choice if you’re looking for spelling games for first graders and above. It’s designed for two to four players ages six and up.
Letter Slide
Spelling abilities and vocabulary are tested in this exciting board game. Letter Slide challenges players to spell as many four-letter words as possible using two letters from an overturned card and their minds. While some games may ask players to spell specific words, this one opens their minds to all the terms they know, which can help strengthen some different (and important) mental muscles.
Letter Slide is a perfect spelling game for second graders and beyond. It’s made for two to four players aged seven and up.
Lily Pond
This board game has players take control of an adorable amphibian as they navigate a pond from one lily pad to another by spelling the words on the three cards they’ve been given. Once a player has spelled all three words, they are declared the winner. This game focuses on foundational reading skills as well as spelling.
Lily Pond can be a great option if you’re looking for a game focused on spelling for preschoolers or some simple but fun ESL spelling games. It’s for two to four players and is suitable for ages four and up.
Chalk-A-Word
Players can test their spelling and vocabulary skills in this competitive card game. They will be given a hand of cards containing letters that they will use to spell their own words or add to words in play to create new ones. The more words spelled, the more points earned. The player with the highest score at the end of the game is the winner.
Chalk-A-Word is a game most suitable for young third-grade or higher spellers. It can be played by two to five players and is suggested for ages eight and up.
Word Bits
This spelling interactive game doesn’t just require players to tap into their vocabularies and spell words correctly; it asks them to do it faster than their opponent. A card will be turned over to reveal a category and a number. Players must think of a word that fits into that category and has the correct number of matching letters. The round winner keeps the card, and the player with the most cards wins.
Two to four players can play Word Bits, best suited for ages eight and up.
Gumball Words
In this whimsical word game, players will navigate a gumball machine, collecting letter tiles and then using those letters to spell the best words they can. Long words and those that use tricky letters earn the most points. The player who creates the best terms wins the game.
Gumball Words focuses on vocabulary and spelling but also requires strategy, math, and quick thinking. Two to four players can play this game, and it is best suited for ages eight and up.
Bid-A-Letter
Clever strategy and broad vocabulary are the main focus of this game, but proper spelling is also vital, making it a great way to challenge children’s linguistic abilities. Players create a word chain using a set of letters they have drawn. They’ll bid letters for the opportunity to add to the word chain, aiming to eliminate all their tiles so they can be declared the winner.
If you’re looking for games that can challenge the spelling, vocabulary, and strategic abilities of middle-school-aged children and higher, then Bid-A-Letter can be a great option. It’s made for two to six players and is suitable for ages 12 and up.
Get 4 & Score
Get 4 & Score starts with revealing four letter cards. A card will then be overturned to show a category, and players will name a word that falls under that category; it begins with the letter on each of the four-letter cards.
This game may not automatically require proper spelling, but you can easily add that element to help children improve their word construction while they play. Get 4 & Score is made for two to eight players and is suitable for ages eight and up.
Spelling Games Can Make Learning Fun
With the help of some of these spelling games, you can get your children invested in learning by offering them an engaging way to do it. When you’re challenging them to challenge themselves in a fun and competitive setting, they may hardly even notice that what they’re doing is similar to homework.
And if you’re interested in finding even more word-based learning games for your children, plenty of printable spelling games are available. Pairing them with spelling cards and board games will give you a full learning arsenal.
More Great Learning Activities from SimplyFun
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