Stay Positive

• Kids will be discouraged and reluctant if adults constantly focus on what they're doing wrong. English teacher Roger Smith recommends commending kids for making "good mistakes," that is, using logical letter combinations that create the correct sound, even if that combination is incorrect for the word, such as "grate" for "great." Letting mistakes go and focusing on your kid's effort and successes will make it a much more enjoyable experience for him, and one he won't mind repeating.
  
  

Keep It Short

• Forcing kids to study for long periods of time can be exhausting and boring for them. Don't try to review an entire spelling list all at once. Instead, try breaking up practice sessions into a few 10- to 15-minute segments per night or over two or three nights. This will help kids stay focused and retain the material more easily.
  
  

Avoid a School-Like Atmosphere

• Most kids don't want to come home from a full day at school only to have more school. If you ask your child how he learns spelling words at school and then present the material in a fun new way, he may be more likely to participate. The Child Development Institute suggests placing word lists at different spots around the house, like on the fridge, on your child's bedroom door or on the bathroom mirror. You can group the words according to their vowel sounds, beginning consonants, length or other similarities, and color-code them to make them more memorable. Letter magnets and Scrabble or Bananagram tiles are also great tools for making spelling word practice fun and different.
  
  

Use Variety

• If you practice spelling the same way every day, the activity is bound to lose its appeal. This is true even if you pick a "fun" way to practice. By using a variety of methods and games, you can hold your child's interest. Choosing methods that engage multiple senses can also be very effective. For example, spelling a word out loud while jump-roping or clapping engages a child's auditory and kinesthetic learning centers. Helping your child trace the outline of a word's letters with his eyes closed engages his sense of touch.
  
  

Encourage Reading and Writing

• Encouraging your child to read and write for fun every day will not necessarily help her memorize her spelling word list, but it is a great way to improve her overall spelling ability. Take frequent trips to the library, and ask your child to write stories about things she likes. The more words a child reads, the more likely he will be to internalize spelling rules and the better his vocabulary will be. The more often a child writes without fear that his writing will be critiqued or corrected, the more likely he will be to notice when his words don't "look right." Parents can also silently take note of words that their child commonly misspells and include those words in future word lists and games.