My sons are having trouble with their spelling lists...?

Question

Does anyone know any tricks to help them? We go over them several times a night and they take practice spelling tests, but I was wondering if there was something that I am missing.

Answer 1

The practice spelling tests.

do they do a lot better on those, than the real thing?

Asking since they might just have trouble doing them not at home, like they're over-stressing it.

Answer 2

I have my kids do a spelling bee with their words just for practice. Then we take a practice test.  Any words missed on the test have to be written five times each.

Answer 3

My little sisters had spelling lists and even after practicing they still would miss the words. What I did to help them and it did too was what I did in elementary you say the word and have them sound it out first. Then have them write the word down a couple times then depending on their age try having them write the word in a sentance. It worked for myself and my little sisters! Best of luck to you I would give it a try with your kids.

Answer 4

Depends on their grade level... I'm guessing pretty young, right?

Try finding strange ways to pronounce things to help them.  I remember I had so much trouble spelling "people" as a child, but my mother suggested that when I took the test say "pee-oh-pll" to myself so I could sound out the letters.  it really helped me. (:

You could also find little things to sing or say that helps... sort of like Gwen Stefani's song "Holla Back Girl" with the whole "B-A-N-A-N-A-S" line.  What little kid COULDN'T spell 'bananas' after that song came out? :P

Answer 5

you write a story with the words of there spelling words it will work im telling you.

Answer 6

my teacher made these sheets where he would take out the vowels and put blanks like

apple : _ppl_

something like that is good but don't put the real world next to the blanks make a word bank and a bunch of words missing their vowels it helped me out a whole lot

Answer 7

the best thing to do is keep at it

Answer 8

have them write each word like 10 times each too...the older they get...the more times they write the word

Answer 9

I haven't used any of these, but have heard good reports from others:

http://homeschoolreviews.com/reviews/cur...

Read the reviews and see what you think. Some of it is just because they are seven, but that's no reason not to work on it. Try and build spelling into their every day life. Then it feels more relevent to them.

Answer 10

You should have them write the words out. That always made it easier for my brother when he was having trouble. Just write each word maybe about ten times.  

Answer 11

Maybe you could try flash cards.

Or write the words on note cards and make a game out of it.

Give them something as a prize if they get them all right.

Answer 12

I'll just concur and say writing them out multiple times will force them to remember the spelling.

Answer 13

Print out phrases with the words in them and have the read them at least 15 times each. It takes at least 12 times to see the words in print to get them in you're lexicon.

Maybe you can make sentences using the letters?

The Word: creative

Sentence: Cats rarely eat apples tossed in violet ears.

haha thats a crazy sentence!

Answer 14

Spelling is really hard to learn through lists.  The only true way to be a good speller, is to read lots of books.  For the short-term, I don't know what to tell you.  For long-term success though, try to get them interested in some kind of series of books.  If they were girls I would say introduce them to the Baby Sitters Club or Sweet Valley (however stupid they are, reading books is better than not reading books, and those series are addictive).  For boys, I don't know what good series there are.  The earlier they start reading, the easier spelling will be for them.