Weekly Spelling Lists Made Simple

For children of all levels, www.spellingcity.com is a gift. This website allows parents or a child to type in the spelling words of the week. You can then click “add 1, add 5, add 10, or add in bulk” if the number of words exceeds the number of spaces to enter all of the spelling words. After inputting the words, you have a series of choices.

You can click “teach me,” in which a voice spells out a word and uses it in a computer-generated sentence. Each letter flashes--in order--as a voice spells out the word, creating both auditory and visual reinforcement.

The next choice is to play one of many possible games. The computer takes the list of words and creates crossword puzzles, hangman, matching, and many other games. I prefer not to use the games that scramble the letters because why do you want to see the letters scrambled when you’re trying to remember them in the correct order?

The final option is to press “test me”. An animated voice tells you to put your spelling list away and not to peak at the words. You can then click on the first space, and the computer will the say the word it wants you to spell. You can click on the button “say” for it to repeat the word or the button “sentence” to hear the word used in a sentence.

After finishing the test, you can click the button “check me,” and the computer will grade the test. If any words are spelled incorrectly, the computer crosses them out and respells the words. What is also nice is that you have the option to retake the whole test or just the part you missed.

My students, their parents, and I are raving about this website.

Julie Firstenberg Kamins holds degrees in English, Sociology, and Law and is an academic tutor in Pacific Palisades, California. Her students range in grade levels from developmental kindergarten to graduate school. In addition, she has developed specialized, alternate programs for those struggling with standard teaching methods. Kamins works as a mentor and guide to college-bound students, coaching them through the maze of applications and essays. Visit her at www.thetutorwhisperer.com