How to Study for Spelling Tests

All students, regardless of learning style, should write the spelling words on note cards.  (In fact, students should study for every test with note cards.)  For a 20 word test, ten cards should be used (one per side).  However, there is a certain method that should be used.  The words should be broken down into small parts that can be pronounced.  For example, the words hamper, literal, and accomplice can be written like this:

ham per
lit er al
ac comp lice

And they should be "mispronounced" compared to how the actual word is pronounced.  This will help their brains make sure every letter is accounted for.  Accomplice would be pronounced "ack" "cahmp" "lice" (like the plural of the critter).

The note cards are very portable and can be taken anywhere for extra studying.  This way the spelling homework can stay in their binders and won't get lost.

There are three basic learning styles:  auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. 

Auditory learners can learn the spelling words by having someone spell them out loud.  This isn't convenient at all times; however, the other way (which is better) is for the auditory learner to spell the words out loud.  Hearing themselves read the spellings out loud taps into that learning style.  They definitely need to pronounce each broken up word out loud as I described above.

Visual learners will obviously study the words by looking at them.  They'll study each part of the word they have broken up on the note card, looking up periodically to practice picturing the parts in their minds.

Kinesthetic learners are already on their way because they have physically written the words on note cards.  Sometimes it's difficult for kinesthetic learners to sit still, so they can walk around with their note cards while they study.  Kinesthetic learners are often very tactile, so another method that works well is to pour table salt into a shallow baking pan and trace the spelling of the words with their fingers.  They can also use refrigerator magnet letters to study.  (These last two are also the most fun.)

Most students have one dominant learning style and a secondary.  But it also depends on the activity; a student might be auditory when learning music but kinesthetic when learning a new soccer move.  All kids should try out various ways of studying the spelling words.  For most kids, a combination of two or three methods will work the best.  The most important thing to remember is that 10 minutes of studying for four nights is better than 40 straight minutes of studying Thursday night!