Teach Kids Spelling

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How to Teach Kids Spelling
Easy, Fun Tips to Help Children Understand Vowel Play and Diagraphs

© Kalyani Candade
Nov 21, 2008
LONG A AS IN AI, Divya Candade
A key tip to teaching spelling is to focus on one sound at a time. After basic vowels and the long "ee" diagraph, it's time to move to the long "a" sound.

The best way to get kids to master the complexities of English spelling is to teach them to understand the sound of words. To do this, it's a good idea to begin with basic vowel sounds, and then move on, one by one, to vowel combinations.

After mastering the basic vowel sounds discussed in How to Make Spelling Easy for Children, and the vowel play in the long "ee" sound, it's time for the long “a” diagraph.
Simple Aids to make the Exercise Memorable

1. A nice big capital “A” graphic, with the horizontal bar of the “A” extending out on both side (for the second vowel to ride along), will make the activity powerful and memorable. A cutout or stick figures will help create strong visual cues for kids.
2. Smaller cutouts of lower case letters “i” and “y”
3. A set of about fifteen cards with the words CAR, MAR, BAR, TAR, FAR written on five of them, and ten blank cards.
4. Brightly coloured sketch pens to write on the cards.

The Different “a” Sounds

Start off with a mime of the triangular “A”, using your fingers to make an “A” triangle, and making the "a" shape with your mouth. Invite your child to do the same. Your child must already be familiar with two “a” sounds : one, as in CAT or MAD, and two,as in CAR, BAR, MAR. Explore how the shape of the mouth changes for both the sounds, from a nice wide triangle in CAT to a more closed, almost oval shape for CAR. Play around with mouth shapes and sounds for a bit.
Long “a” Diagraph : “ai” Words

Then, slowly blend in the “i” sound to make an “ai” sound. Make your child experiment with the sound. Together, explore how the shape of the mouth alters with the sound.

Ask her to think of a word that makes a similar sound. Lead her to words like PAID, MAID. Discuss how “A” is pairing up with “I” to form the long “a” sound. Prop up the graphic “A” that you have created, and place the cutout of the lower case “i” on the horizontal bar to make an “Ai”. Then, ask your child to identify more words making the same sound. Spell them together and write them out on the cards one by one, using the same graphic of “A” and “i” for easy recall. Spell about five words like this : MAID, PAID, GAIT, HAIL, MAIL.

Read more: http://kids-educational-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_teach_kids_spelling#ixzz0VzorSIIY


How to Teach Kids Spelling
Easy, Fun Tips to Help Children Understand Vowel Play and Diagraphs

© Kalyani Candade
Nov 21, 2008
LONG A AS IN AI, Divya Candade
A key tip to teaching spelling is to focus on one sound at a time. After basic vowels and the long "ee" diagraph, it's time to move to the long "a" sound.

The best way to get kids to master the complexities of English spelling is to teach them to understand the sound of words. To do this, it's a good idea to begin with basic vowel sounds, and then move on, one by one, to vowel combinations.

After mastering the basic vowel sounds discussed in How to Make Spelling Easy for Children, and the vowel play in the long "ee" sound, it's time for the long “a” diagraph.
Simple Aids to make the Exercise Memorable

1. A nice big capital “A” graphic, with the horizontal bar of the “A” extending out on both side (for the second vowel to ride along), will make the activity powerful and memorable. A cutout or stick figures will help create strong visual cues for kids.
2. Smaller cutouts of lower case letters “i” and “y”
3. A set of about fifteen cards with the words CAR, MAR, BAR, TAR, FAR written on five of them, and ten blank cards.
4. Brightly coloured sketch pens to write on the cards.

The Different “a” Sounds

Start off with a mime of the triangular “A”, using your fingers to make an “A” triangle, and making the "a" shape with your mouth. Invite your child to do the same. Your child must already be familiar with two “a” sounds : one, as in CAT or MAD, and two,as in CAR, BAR, MAR. Explore how the shape of the mouth changes for both the sounds, from a nice wide triangle in CAT to a more closed, almost oval shape for CAR. Play around with mouth shapes and sounds for a bit.
Long “a” Diagraph : “ai” Words

Then, slowly blend in the “i” sound to make an “ai” sound. Make your child experiment with the sound. Together, explore how the shape of the mouth alters with the sound.

Ask her to think of a word that makes a similar sound. Lead her to words like PAID, MAID. Discuss how “A” is pairing up with “I” to form the long “a” sound. Prop up the graphic “A” that you have created, and place the cutout of the lower case “i” on the horizontal bar to make an “Ai”. Then, ask your child to identify more words making the same sound. Spell them together and write them out on the cards one by one, using the same graphic of “A” and “i” for easy recall. Spell about five words like this : MAID, PAID, GAIT, HAIL, MAIL.

Read more: http://kids-educational-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_teach_kids_spelling#ixzz0VzorSIIY