Every year, a new crop of kindergarten students begins their quest for knowledge. Teachers and parents across the country for hours of effort to get children to learn letters and eventually short words and, of course, later they will pronounce longer words and begin to read more. There are many ways to introduce children to letters and high-frequency words, but short spelling tests can be one of the best ways to allow children to focus single-mindedly on memorizing high-frequency words.
Many educators don’t seem to like to memorize these days. However, it makes sense that a certain amount of learning would require it, such as memorizing the multiplication table. There are certain things that can be absorbed somewhat indirectly, but many require good old-fashioned memorization.
Kindergarten teachers, parents, or homeschoolers could easily fit short spelling quizzes into their week. It is best to link current books or topics to spelling tests when possible so that learning can occur from a variety of angles. Simple words like an, see, the, to and the like are quite easy to work on in the Kindergarten curriculum. The number of words per quiz can be limited to as many words as you think your students can learn in a given week.
There are several ways that young learners can begin to recognize common words. One option is to have the children write words on a large white board. Using your whole body to create words can often help children remember better. Instead of writing on a small piece of paper, they can write a big “s” on a whiteboard and “feel” the letter as it is written. If the word is “see”, the child can draw eyes next to the word to help him remember the word more easily.
Children can also play games to remember words. There are many types of games that can be played with a group of children. For example, have all the children sit in a large semi-circle so that everyone can see, and give one child a flash card and ask them to hold it up. If the children know the word, they can call it out. Children love any excuse to scream. However, this can be considered an outdoor game.
Another great option is to use one of the many online resources. This is also great for quiet moments. Children can log on to a website to practice sight words with games or direct practice. Some websites allow you to record student scores. Teachers can reward children who practice by offering them special privileges, stickers, or small gifts.
The ways in which our children are taught are not all the same. Children respond much better to multisensory learning. Short and interesting games or practical options have a lot of potential to help children learn and concentrate easily.
