S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G: ACE THE NEXT SPELLING TEST Here’s the scenario: A spelling test is just round the corner and your child is having trouble putting “i before e except after c, or when sounded as a, as in neighbor and weight.” What do you do? Here are 10 ways to help your child ace the next spelling test. Give your child a pre-test. When your child comes home with a word list, set a time one or two days before the test date to give a practice quiz. This will help your child feel more confident on the day of the test. A pre-test also helps children determine which words they need to focus on learning. Ask your child to write stories. Before a spelling test, ask your child to use the words to write stories. Not only will this help her remember spellings, but it will be a fun exercise. Respect educated guesses. If your child guesses that “purpose” is spelled “purpus,” appreciate the effort and congratulate her on being close to the correct spelling. Encourage your child to make flashcards. Use colored paper and markers and let your child have fun making bright flashcards. The simple exercise of writing out words can help a child remember spellings. Use a dictionary. After your child determines which words he is struggling with, ask him to look up the word in the dictionary. The action of looking up words in the dictionary can be a trigger that reminds him of spellings when he is taking his test. Encourage children to say words aloud. Saying words aloud and understanding how they are pronounced can help a child make educated guesses. It can also help your child memorize longer words. Play spelling games. Play games that involve spelling, such as hangman, or make a word search using the spelling list. Playing games will show your child that learning to spell does not have to be a boring activity. Find the allocated spelling words in books or other sources. Showing your child how the words on his spelling list are used everyday can encourage him to learn his words. Ask your child to visualize words in the air above her head. If your child spells a word incorrectly on her practice quiz, tell her to imagine the word in the air above her head. Have her spell the word in the air with her finger. This will help her picture the word and memorize it. Avoid using spellcheck on the computer. When your child uses the computer for class assignments, ask him to switch off spellcheck. This will help children develop stronger spelling skills.