Every year, a new crop of kindergarten students begin their quest for knowledge. Teachers and parents across the country put hours of effort into getting children to learn letters and eventually short words and of course later, they will speak longer words and begin to read more. There are many ways to introduce children to sight words and letters, but short spelling tests can be one of the best ways to allow children to focus uniquely on memorizing sight words. .
Many educators seem to dislike memorization these days. However, it makes sense that a certain amount of learning requires it, like memorizing the multiplication table. There are certain things that can be assimilated somewhat indirectly, but many require good old-fashioned memorization.
Kindergarten teachers, parents, or homeschooling could easily fit short spelling tests into their week. It’s 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 a, see, the, a, and the like are pretty easy to incorporate into the kindergarten curriculum. The number of words per test can be limited to as many words as you think your students can learn in a given week.
There are several ways that young students can begin to recognize common words. One option is for the children to write words on a large 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 huge “s” on a board and “feel” the handwriting 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 semicircle for all to see, and give a flashcard to a child and ask him to hold it up. If children know the word, they can yell it out. Kids love any excuse to yell. 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 into a website to practice sight words with games or simple practice. Some websites allow you to record student scores. Teachers can reward children who practice by offering special privileges, stickers, or small gifts.
The ways our children are taught are not all the same. Children respond much better to multisensory learning. Short, interesting games or hands-on options have great potential to help children learn and focus easily.
