My favorite way to learn to spell words (and my kids’ favorite) that actually sticks is writing the word 5 times each every day they get it wrong. If they don’t get it wrong, I don’t have them write the word 5 times each since they know how to spell it. Repeat for all the words. By the end of the week, they normally can spell their whole spelling list.

Variation: Write it as many times as you can by playing one song for the first minute. Switch songs and switch words and write the word as many times as you can again for the song’s first minute.

Spelling Activities for Each Multiple Intelligence:

If your child wants to spice it up and use different activities based on their multiple intelligence or enjoyment, here are the favorite ones we used based on the intelligence (for lots more in more game forms or the worksheet already made up for you I created is at the end):

Visual-Spatial:

Make a giant flower. Draw in all the petals. In each petal, write each spelling word. All the words that have the same number of letters in them, color them the same color. You may only have a few colors if the spelling list has words all the same length (same number of letters in the word).

Naturalistic:

Collect leaves, rocks, etc. to spell out words in the dirt and glue on a paper. Or get a stick and write the word in the dirt or sand.

Bodily-Kinesthetic:

Jump for each letter as you spell the word, like spelling “mat” by jumping for “m” (jump), “a” (jump), and “t” (jump).

Musical:

Spell words using different voices, such as singing them to a tune like “Old McDonald.” Sing the spelling to the song.

Mathematical:

Play a board game with spelling words on cards, and move spaces according to the number of letters in the word. For example, play Snakes and Ladders or CandyLand (or any board game with a start and finish – many spaces to move. You can create one with a deck of cards. Just use the back of the cards and place in a swirl on the floor or in a big circle). Shuffle the cards with the spelling words written on them. Pick a word, say it. They have to write it down and spell it. Then if they are correct, count the letters in the word and move that many spaces.

Linguistic:

Make a crossword puzzle online. Print it off online and do it. Or create one using graph paper.

Intrapersonal:

Close your eyes or blindfold yourself. Someone says the word. The person with their eyes closed has to write the word on a whiteboard.

Interpersonal:

Engage in a Spelling War Face-Off where two people compete to spell words correctly on a whiteboard. Two people face each other. Say the word. They have to spell the word as fast as they can by writing it on their whiteboard. When they are done, they raise their hand and turn their board over. When both partners are done, turn their boards over and make sure the first one done is correct first. If they are correct, they get a point. If incorrect, check the second player’s whiteboard. If both are incorrect, show the correct spelling and keep that word in the deck to do again.

Already made spelling activities and games for each multiple intelligence:

Want something already made up and save time? Here is a spelling packet with games and activities.