davidbau.com Second Grade Spelling

Second Grade Spelling

On learning spelling. My second-grade Piper is getting plenty of practice writing but hasn't been getting spelling homework. We notice she is often guessing wrong on words like "sweep" ("sweap"), and I wish she were getting lists of spelling words to help her along.

What is the best way to learn spelling?

I don't know, but here is a sequence of second-grade spelling lists I thought was great, and that we will be playing with at home. It comes from Mrs. Schlib, who teaches elementary school in East Moline, IL: second grade spelling lists. The lists clearly have a structure - there must be a method to this.

Posted by David at November 26, 2008 08:25 AM

I know this doesn't address your question of how best to learn spelling but I can't resist sharing this -- we found our oldest grandson (now in third grade) became much more interested in spelling after he realized it would him "decode" our spelling secrets to each other. He sharpened his skills considerably after he figured out that we wondering if we should take the kids for "i-c-e-c-r-e-a-m" and laughed like crazy when I firmly told him "no more spelling - stop learning how to spell - I have to have secrets!!" Of course, that made him study even harder. We egg it on all we can of course!

I think some of the rote memorization that is necessary to be able to be a good speller of English words is easier for kids once they realize WHY it's important. What more important reason for a kid than to be able to be "in the know" of what the grownups around him are discussing!

Mmmmmm - when the right time comes - maybe we'll just spell the birds and the bees stuff!!

Posted by: Mary at November 26, 2008 10:09 AM