Alternate Spelling Activities

Dear Parents,
Each week, the students are given spelling words and spelling homework. I have decided to try something new this year. If your child would rather have alternate spelling homework he/she may try the following activities and turn it in the next day. This will be substituted for the current homework. For example, if I give spelling ABC order as homework, and they would rather do something else from our choice list...then he/she would turn in the homework they decided to do the next day. I will send home a list of alternate activities. If your child would like to create homework, then that is acceptable as well. We are trying to promote choice and creativity within the homework as well as the classroom. Thank you for your support! Below is a list of alternate spelling activities. I will also send home a list of activities to be kept in your child's homework folder for reference.

1. Use all the words to create as few sentences as possible.
2. Create a crossword puzzle on graph paper. Include an answer key.
3. Learn the words in a foreign language. Create sentences with words.
4. Create several categories into which all the words can fit. Regroup them into different categories.
5. Create greeting card messages or rebus pictures. A rebus is a variation on a pun. In a pun, the sound and/or meaning of two words is made into a play on words. In a rebus, the pun is created by using pictures to evoke a sound that is identical or similar to a word or word part.
6. Create an original spelling game.
7. Create riddles with the words as the answers.
8. Write an advertisement using as many of the words as you can.
9. Use all of the words in an original story.
10. Create alliterative sentences using the words.
11. Using a thesaurus, find synonyms and antonyms for the words, and use them in sentences.
12. Change the initial or middle consonants to create other words. Or keep the consonants the same and change the vowels to make other words.
13. Create analogies using the words. (Example: heart is to body what motor is to lawn mower)
14. Come up with your own activity.
15. ABC order
16. 3 Times each
17. Practice spelling test