Exciting news in the 6th grade! This year students will learn spelling and vocabulary through a fantastic program called SpellingCity. I've heard teachers rave about this website at conferences, so I was thrilled to learn that our very own Mr. Sproull is trying this program with his students this year! Even better, SpellingCity has a new iPad app to accompany its website, so our 6th graders can use the app on their iPads (provided through the new, 6th grade 1:1 iPad pilot program).
On SpellingCity, teachers can choose ready-made lists of words or create their own custom lists. There is a wide variety of word lists to choose from, ranging from comprehensive grade level lists (levels PK through 12th grade) to lists of words specific to certain topics (like science or math vocabulary). Students can practice spelling these words and study their definitions. To help students learn the proper pronunciation of the words on their practice lists, SpellingCity provides clear, spoken recordings of every word. Students can study spelling, make flashcards, play games, and take tests to check their progress.
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| The new SpellingCity iPad app! |
One feature of SpellingCity that Jake particularly likes is that kids can take as many games and quizzes as they want and can progress at their own pace. In his class, the requirement is to pass at least one test per week, which amounts to about 20 words. His students are to spend at least two days per week for 20 minutes at a time practicing spelling/vocabulary on SpellingCity.
As an added benefit, parents can log on to monitor their child's progress! Best of all, SpellingCity is free for basic membership. Premium membership gives kids access to additional learning activities, allows students to have individual log-ins, and enables teachers to track their students' progress. At an affordable price of $1.95 per student, it is worth the upgrade for Mr. Sproull's 6th grade class!
To learn more about SpellingCity, take a moment to watch these two short (1-minute) videos that provide a quick introduction to SpellingCity. The first is geared toward Teachers and Parents, and the second shows students how to use the site.
Want to learn more? Check out SpellingCity's Teacher Resources section or look through their Training Videos. Or, as always, you can ask me for help...and be sure to ask Jake how it's going with his 6th graders!
