Ideas for Spelling Homework Assignments

How to Make Spelling Homework Fun for Students

Whether you teach students in a classroom or homeschool your children, there are several activities you can use to help kids learn their weekly spelling words without relying on repetition and rote memorization. You may choose to create paper worksheets with different types of games, or use any number of free websites to create puzzles by inputting words. These easy-to-create spelling homework assignments can help your students to become more enthusiastic about learning to write and spell.

Three Spelling Activities

Word Scramble or Word Jumble

Creating word scrambles with your students' spelling lists each week can be a fun way for them to learn proper spelling while also practicing their vocabulary. Start by scrambling each word on the list, but instead of simply mixing up the letters for each word, create a set of clues for each so that your students make a connection between the words and their definitions. Once completed, review your students' answers to make sure the spelling is correct.

Another similar option is a word jumble. Start the activity the same way, by mixing up the letters in each word. However, instead of clues for each word, create one clue for the overall theme of the puzzle.

Your students will take letters from each of the spelling words to unscramble the answer to the final clue. You'll need to circle one or two letters in each correctly spelled word for your students to use in their final answer. For the purposes of this exercise, the final answer should also be one of the students' spelling words. Otherwise, the jumble may be difficult for younger children to figure out.

Spelling Word Story

To help your students improve both their spelling and narrative writing skills, challenge them to create stories using all of the words from their weekly list. Depending on the grade level you're working with, writing standards may vary. For example, first graders' narratives will have far less structure and detail than those written by fifth graders.

To make this activity more fun for your students, have them create illustrations for their stories. Ask them to draw pictures for each spelling word in the story and have them label the pictures to gain even more spelling practice.

Spelling Puzzles

If you'd rather use an online tool to create spelling activities for your students, there are free puzzle makers online. Discovery Education offers a tool to help you create your own puzzles using your students' spelling words (www.discoveryeducation.com). You'll also find word searches, crosswords, jumbles and other educational resources.