8th Grade Spelling Words: How to Help 8th Graders with Spelling

Providing Your 8th Grader with Spelling Assistance

By the 8th grade, your child will usually be required to be familiar with basic spelling rules, such as short vowel rules and rules for double consonants. The words your child will encounter are more complex than in previous grades, so he or she will need to be able to decode these words using word parts, such as prefixes, suffixes and root words. Knowing word parts can also help your 8th grader spell words that he or she hears.

Learning New Words at Home

A great technique for helping your child spell at home is word mapping, which helps students break down new words into their individual parts. Once your 8th grader's able to do this, memorizing the spelling or figuring out what new words mean will often be a much less daunting task.

Begin by have your child say a new spelling word more than once. Break down the number of syllables. Determine what each word part means on it's own. Have your child write the word on its own and then, after determining the meaning, in a sentence.

For instance, if the word was 'predetermine', then your child would first identify the number of syllables. In this case, there are four: /pre/ /de/ /ter/ /mine/. Then, look at the word parts. Pre means before, and determine means to decide. Putting these parts together, you can figure out that predetermine means to decide in advance.

When teaching spelling words to your child, it's difficult to overstate the importance of flash cards. When your 8th grader comes home with new spelling words, always make flash cards to quiz him or her with. There are a number of flash card makers available online, or you can use note cards.

Finding 8th Grade Spelling Words and Extra Help

One of best ways to find out the spelling words your 8th grader is expected to know is to ask his or her teachers. It's likely that your child has weekly vocabulary lists that he or she must learn. Alternatively, look through your child's textbooks or find sample 8th grade spelling lists on the Internet.

If your child's struggling to spell new words, consult your child's teacher and other learning experts for advice. Sometimes, it may become necessary to hire a spelling tutor. If this is the case, you can hire a private, one-on-one tutor to come to your home or else hire a tutor to help your child online. There are also a number of learning disabilities that can hinder a child's ability to spell, but are treatable when consulting the right specialist.