Spelling and Vocabulary List Activity
A Different Twist on Spelling Tests and Vocabulary Development

Mariann Kearsley

During a group discussion about our class, a student suggested we have spelling tests. A discussion ensued and the "Spelling and Vocabulary List" was born.

An area of the classroom chalkboard (whiteboard) is designated the "spelling and vocabulary corner." Any student at any time may add a word to the list. Examples on the board during a recent week included: discombobulate, microcosm, beautiful, dictionary, archive, Xerox, modification, etiquette, and boycott.

Each student is responsible for learning the words and their meanings. Periodically, students test each other for spelling and definitions. The students seem to enjoy generating and learning the new words and especially testing each other!