Spell well: Become a spelling wiz
It goes without saying that the ability to spell words correctly is definitely as much of a skill, as are reading and writing. At first glance, it does seem as if learning to spell and becoming a wiz at spelling is a piece of cake, at least when compared to writing. However, in this day and age, spelling is an art in itself.
This is mainly because of two reasons — firstly, more and more young people are exposed to both British and American spellings, and it has become ever more important to learn to distinguish between the two. And, secondly, the age of the internet and cell phones means that the correct spelling of words is one of the major casualties, as young people resort to shorthand as much in their SMSs as in their examination paper.
And yet, it is the internet which comes to the rescue when it comes to improving one's spelling skills. There are a myriad of websites out there that can do wonders for you. Whether you are a beginner, looking to start improving your spellings, or an expert, who just wants to revise, there is something for you in the form of a whole collection of websites out there and they can easily be categorised under the following sections.
Hints and tips
There are quite a few websites which may not be directly related to spelling as such. However, they have dedicated a part of their space to elaborate articles dedicated to disseminating information about improving spelling skills. The best way to approach these websites is to go through all the hints and tips, pick out the ones which you think you will be able to use to master your spelling skills, and then either write them down somewhere or take a printout. Hence, once you start preparing for a spelling bee, you will have the list of hints and tips right in front of you.
One of the websites, which falls in this category, is http//www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-to-improve-your-spelling-skills.html. The article starts off with the importance of being able to spell correctly and goes on to emphasise reading a LOT and making a list of words which you know you always misspell as one of the main ways in which you can work towards improving your spelling skills.
Another article at eHow.com (http//www.ehow.com /how_2112696_improve-spelling-skills.html) gives pretty much the same tips, but further suggests making flash cards to learn new spellings and routinely using a dictionary/thesaurus while you are reading. This will improve your vocabulary as well.
While the above two websites simply give a list of hints and tips,
http//homemanagement.suite101.com/article.cfm/spelling_word_list_activities is an excellent website which tells you how to implement these hints and tips in a fun way. For instance, it suggests that while you make flash cards, you write words in two colours — one colour for the vowel and one for the consonant. This will be fun both while you are making it and while you are learning it. Plus, you can also cut out letters from newspapers to make the words.
There are loads of such interesting ideas there.
Software galore
Reading articles about improving your spelling skills is enlightening, but once you are through reading, it is actually time to test yourself. Moreover, reading articles gets a bit boring after a while, so a few software available on a trial basis online can be of good help. Each has its own specific features, hence, you can choose which one you'd like to download and use.
Spelling Depot (http//wareseeker.com/Home-Education/spelling-depot-2008r1.zip/445146) is one of the software available. The full version is not free, however, you can download a limited version for trial. What you do is enter the list of words which you want to learn and perfect. The software will then test you on those words only. If you don't have a list yourself, you can use the automatic list generated by the software itself.
Abilities Builder Spell Words (http//www.soft32.com/download_20280.html) is another software available on trial basis. It has much the same features as the aforementioned software, with the additional feature of printing out worksheets as well.
Visual Spell (http//www.download3000.com/download_52085.html) goes a step further. It will use visuals to help you master not just the spelling of a new word, but its usage as well. A visual scenario will be presented to you, and you must choose the correct word to describe it. The spelling of the word will have to be searched from the visual as well. This is definitely a very unusual and fun way of learning to master the spellings of particular words.
Fun Spell (http//games.softpedia.com/get/Shareware-Games/Fun-Spell.shtml) goes even further. This is basically a game which children of all ages can play to improve not just their spelling, but their pronunciation as well.
Fun and games
There are many different educational websites with different types of games to help you master the spelling of certain words. Some of these games are available at Spelling Match (http//www.eduplace.com/kids/hmsv/smg/), Spelling Activities (http//www.education-world.com/a_special/spelling.shtml) and Spelling Lab http//www.spellinglab.com/). There are games as well as many different fun activities for you to try out on these websites as well.
All about spelling
Yes, the best has definitely been saved for the very last. There are some websites totally dedicated to spelling skills. These have some or all of the different elements discussed above.
Spelling it Right (http//www.spelling.hemscott.net/) is one of those websites. Here, you will find articles as well as free printable worksheets, to practise your spelling skills. Moreover, there are loads of games here, like Hangman and crosswords, which you can play for a little fun.
Spelling City (http//www.spellingcity.com/) is another great site where you can enter the list of words you want to practice. Then, you enter your option — do you want to play and turn or simply learn? The website will then help you master the set of words which you have specified. There are forums here as well, where you can interact with like-minded students aspiring to be great spellers like you.
The final word
The number of websites can definitely be overwhelming. The best way to start is to have a word list with you. Based on that, you can then opt for whichever style of learning that suits you best.
If you are a flashcard person, you can visit the websites in the “Hints and tips” segment to learn how to make interesting and appealing flashcards. If you are into games, then simply visit the websites which have crosswords and other puzzles. At the end of the day, it is all about learning to be a spelling wiz, and there is no reason why the internet cannot help you become one.