Spelling
Tips: Now that your child is in first grade, spelling becomes an important part of the language arts experience. In kindergarten, your child experimented with "inventive" or "temporary" spelling, and will continue to do that during the first grade year as well. Yet your child will also begin to learn certain conventions of spelling, as well as how to correctly spell basic sight words. You will soon see your child begin to use some of the spelling words in his/her writing, along with many "practice" spellings. This is the necessary transition that occurs in the writing process. As more words and skills are committed to memory, they begin to replace some of the phonetic spellings. That doesn't mean your child will spell every word correctly before second grade, however! Your child will still continue to use his/her phonics skills to spell unknown words, but will be responsible for using spelling words correctly.
Help: To help your child study the spelling words, have your child write the word several times. Saying the word and then spelling it orally is also good practice. Have your child try writing the spelling word in one color, then over it in another color, and so on. Your child can practice writing the words on a chalkboard, with Play-doh, using magnets on the refrigerator, etc. Looking for small words within larger ones and pointing these out to your child is another good strategy, such as seeing the word "in" in "spin." Spelling the words in a song, rhythmic way also helps.