Teaching Third Grade Spelling

If you're teaching third grade, you already know that your students are learning new words at a faster pace than ever before. It's important that third graders keep their spelling abilities on the rise as well.

Here are two simple activities that you can use throughout the year with any list of third grade spelling words .

 Intersections

Give students half-sheets of graph paper. Ask them to make a crossword-type grid of their spelling words, using as many intersections as possible. This activity is fun for the kids, and it requires that they look very carefully at the letters in the spelling words. 

If you want to go a step further, ask students to write crossword puzzle clues for each spelling word. Then allow them to go to a free online crossword puzzle creator and make a puzzle with their words and clues for a classmate (or a parent!) to solve.

Art Works!

You'll probably ask your students to write their spelling words ten times each (or 5 times or 20 times) most weeks. That's a good way to practice new words. But it can become tedious for everyone. Why not see how some ART works in your spelling class, too? 

Ask students to think of a way to illustrate some of the week's spelling words. Here are some examples: 

Encourage students to use colors and add drawings to make their work really interesting. Post the artwork on a classroom wall for students to look at all through the week.  It's a sneaky way to get students to study those spelling words!

More Ideas for Teaching Third Grade Spelling

Don't miss these third grade activities and our fun spelling worksheets.

Third grade worksheets - Printable activities to give your students practice with grade-level words. Contractions and calendar words are covered here.

Compound Word Wizards - Fun whole class or large-group activity for practicing compound words. Students will learn a key spelling concept: When forming compound words, do not change the spelling of either word.

Third grade lesson plans for spelling. Try our ideas for Story Puzzles and Listening Lessons. These are both great ways to review spelling words!

Spelling Homework Ideas - Lots of interesting ways for kids to practice their weekly words! In addition to writing the new spelling words 5 or 10 times each, I include ideas for using the dictionary, comic strips, colored markers, TV ads, and more.

3rd Grade Vocabulary Words  200 words arranged alphabetically to challenge your third graders! How many do they know? How many can they use in sentences? How many can they spell? Use these words frequently to enrich and boost your third graders spoken and written language. 100 of the words also appear in a handy printable, arranged in useful categories. Might you need to avoid an ambulance if you had big antlers? Find those words and more on this page!  

3rd Grade Spelling Bee Word Lists - Get ready for the competitions by studying these important words! 100 words to start your classroom spelling bee practice or competition. This shorter list is arranged from easiest to most difficult. It's a great starting point for kids who want to prepare for a classroom contest.

Fun third grade spelling practice ideas - Great ways for kids to help each other practice writing almost any spelling words. Time saver for you!  Show your kids how to practice spelling words with "Fancy Letters," "Partner Practice," and "Cut It Out!"  Who says spelling practice is boring? 

Double the Fun - To double or not to double the final consonant when adding a suffix? Another great game for 3rd grade spelling fun! 

Spelling Bee Games - Good old-fashioned spelling bee games can provide some fantastic spelling practice! The competitive nature of these games encourages kids to study hard and work together  to produce a winning strategy. Try one of our new Silent Spelling Bee variations. A fun--and quiet--twist on  a classic game! 

Third Grade Writing Prompts

Both sets use words from my list of third grade spelling words.

Set #1 - This list of twelve 3rd grade writing prompts include: What's the best way to spend one dollar? Write a short poem about a bear with a pear.  Why are you happy to hear someone's voice at your front door? Whose voice is it? 

Set #2 - These writing prompts for 3rd grade ask:  If you joined the circus, what act would you like to do? Do you like to wear matched socks? Why or why not? Why were you not afraid of the giant who walked into your classroom? Set contains 12 prompts in all. 

Be sure to share our ideas, and yours, for teaching third grade spelling with other teachers and parents.

Sign Up Here for My Free Newsletter

Ann Richmond Fisher is a longtime published educational writer, a former classroom teacher and a former homeschool teacher. Ann's spelling bee resources, graded spelling word lists, spelling games, worksheets, and other language arts resources have become respected around the globe since she launched Spelling-Words-Well in 2010.

Ann is also the creator of www.word-game-world.com.

Visit my YouTube Channel for fun spelling practice videos!

---

AnyWord Spelling Practice Series   Fun Worksheets, games & prompts that work with almost ANY spelling words!

Gigantic Spelling Bee Word Lists with definitions, sentences and languages

Spelling Bee Toolboxes for Grades 3/5 and 6/8   All the resources you need for a successful bee! 

Monumental Spelling Bee Word Lists for grades 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8 with definitions, sentences and languages

Mammoth Spelling Bee Word Lists  for grades 3/4, 5/6 and 7/8  with sentences, definitions, and languages

Young Spellers Spelling Bee Word List for Grades 1 & 2 only 

100 Difficult Spelling Bee Words with Definitions, Sentences and Pronunciations, Volumes 1 and 2

600 Spelling Bee Words & Sentences for Gr 3/5 & 6/8 Extra words & sentences at two levels