At this point, you’ll have made your way through parts 1 and 2 of our extensive list of helpful spelling activities, but we’re still not done! We have a few more suggestions that we’d like to draw your attention to, and then we’ll leave you and your child to it, to get on with all the spelling exercises you can muster!

So, what are the last few strategies you can employ at home to help your child improve their spelling skills?

How do I help my child with their spelling skills?

The following activities are best performed outside, so get the kids off the sofa and out of the house and enjoy some outdoor, educational fun!

Chalk word race. To play chalk word race, you’ll need a couple of pieces of chalk and access to some concrete. Begin by forming two teams. After the game master shouts out a word, a member of each team must race to a chosen concrete spot and spell the word out in chalk. The first person to write the word correctly wins a point for their team. If possible, choose a concrete path that’s surrounded by grass on either side and have the kids run on the grass, not the concrete. Painful stumbles will be difficult to avoid once the kids are getting into the competitive spirit of the game.

Ball toss. If you’re playing in a group, form a nice, big circle. Begin by shouting out a word and throwing a ball or bean bag to one of your kids. After catching the ball, they must spell out the relevant word before passing the ball on, accompanied by a new word. If they misspell the word, they must throw it to someone else in the circle to have a go. You can also play a variation of this game that works for 2 or more players, where each player must add the next letter of a word after catching the ball until the word is complete.

Swing and spell. For this activity, you’ll need some kind of bat (tennis rackets, baseball bats, or rounder bats will all do) and a soft ball. Shout out a word and then bowl the ball towards your child for them to take a swing at. If they hit the ball, they get to have a turn spelling out the word, but if they miss, they must try again. This one is a great option for any kids who love sports but need a little incentive when it comes to spelling.

A few spelling exercises you can use with things lying about the house:

Word hunt. Find an old magazine or newspaper and choose a page full of text. Then ask your child to find and highlight the words in their spelling list with a bright highlighter.

Crazy letters. Pour rice, sand, or even some body lotion onto some baking paper and have your child spell out a new word with their fingers. They’ll love getting their hands dirty, but to keep your home nice and clean, you might want to do this activity in the garden.

Games you can play with letter magnets:

Word scramble. If you have some letter magnets handy (they’re very cheap), place them all over the fridge or a radiator that’s off, and then encourage your little one to put the letters in the correct order to form a short list of words.

Word train. The rules of word train are quite simple. Each new word must begin with the last letter of the previous word. For example,

Mat - tap - pot.

The aim of the game is to produce as long a chain as possible, using all of the magnetic letters at your disposal.

How to help your child's spelling skills at home (Part 3)