Spelling Challenge

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Ah, spelling!

• Do you find it a fun, challenging activity or a difficult, aggravating exercise?

However you feel about spelling, it's not going to go away.

Even if you had a spellchecker program go through all your homework, you'd still need to know how to spell — to do a test, write a note, or a million other things.

Get ready to explore a 7th-grade spelling list and several ways to practice the words.

First, look at the opening question. The only word spelled correctly there is audition.

Here are the other words with their correct spellings.

sacrafice: sacrifice

spectater: spectator

surgury: surgery

neccessary: necessary

afect: affect

loyul: loyal

• Did you spot those misspellings?

If so, good job!

Spelling List

Now, here's the spelling list for this lesson.

• gauge
• accidentally
• vacuum
• spectacle
• sponsor
• chandelier
• morale
• twenty
• possession
• complimentary
• emphatic
• perpendicular
• adolescence
• interrogation
• Pennsylvania

Definitions and Sentences

The first thing to do with this list is to make sure you know what each word means and that you can use it in a sentence.

• gauge: to measure, evaluate, or estimate
• He tried to gauge the class's interest in reading English literature.

• accidentally: occurring unexpectedly, unintentionally, or by chance
• We accidentally knocked the picture off the wall when moving the desk.

• vacuum: a state of emptiness
• The graduation of the quarterback and six other top players left a vacuum on the school's football team.

• spectacle: something unusual or remarkable that can be seen
• Maryanne created a spectacle by arguing loudly with her sister in their front yard.

• sponsor: one who takes responsibility for another person
• Mr. Barnes was a sponsor at his nephew's baptism.

You'll finish the rest of the definitions in the next section.

Study

Here's a method for studying your spelling words.

1. Read and Spell: Say each word and spell them out loud.
2. Copy and Spell: Copy the words onto paper and spell them out loud as you do.
3. Listen and Spell: Have someone read the words to you and write them down.

Practice

One way to practice is to list the words but remove a few letters and fill them in.

Try these.

1. g_ug_
2. ac_ide_tal_y
3. v_c_um
4. spe_ta_le
5. sp_ns_r

You'll do some more of these later.

Another way to practice is to write the word in several different ways.

1. Write the words with red vowels and blue consonants.
2. Write in all capital letters.
3. Write the words vertically (up and down).
4. Write in bubble letters.

Practice Online

Arkadium is a free website where you can practice your spelling. Several games on this site involve spelling, such as Outspell (similar to Scrabble) and Codeword, a crossword puzzle game without clues.

Practice With Board Games

• What if you'd rather play games with friends and family?

Here are some in-person games you can play with friends or family to practice spelling.

• Hangman
• Bananagrams
• Scrabble
• Boggle

So, choose your activity or game and get practicing!

Move to the Got It? section and test yourself!