Spelling for Different Ages

Inspiring Literacy Through Playful Spelling

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By Zona B. Taylor

Inspiring Literacy Through Playful Spelling

September 4, 2023

Learning to read and spell is a joyful journey for learners – no matter their age.

While playful games that get young, energetic students moving, crafting, and imagining are delightful, don’t underestimate the value of paper and pencil activities.

Get creative by:

· Making personalized spelling Bingo cards

· Having your child write and illustrate vocabulary stories in homemade books,

· Engaging creativity with penmanship practice.

When learning plateaus, spice things up with races, letter hunts, or vocabulary Pictionary.

Rainy Days/Quiet Times

On rainy days or during quiet time, strategically designed puzzles like tracing, Search It Find It, flashcards, matching games, Word Dot-to-Dot, Word Mazes, Hangman, Word Searches, and Crosswords reinforce everything from letter formation to phonics to sight words to vocabulary. Completing these challenges builds confidence with low-stress repetition, feeling more like fun play than rote memory practice.




For older kids and adults, build recall and strategy and engage the mind with activities such as:

· Connect-the-dot puzzles

· Winding mazes

· Scrabble

· Crossword puzzles

Workbooks lay the foundation, and immediately applicable games develop next-level literacy skills. With a blend of traditional and playful spelling activities using paper, colored pencils, crafts, and fun games, teachers, parents, and caregivers can inspire a lifelong love of learning and literacy.

Encouraging Young Readers through Read Aloud- Read Along Videos

As both an author and a mother, I understand the importance of reading with children. Reading aloud promotes literacy skills, expands vocabularies and imaginations, and strengthens the adult-child bond.

However, we all know that it's not always possible to sit down together with a physical book. That's why I'm excited to announce my new YouTube channel, Read Aloud with Nana, featuring read-along videos of stories for children. 

Itty bitty Kitty-front cover

Itty Bitty Kitty front cover

My first "Read Along with Nana" video features a book I wrote for my grandchildren, "Itty Bitty Kitty at Home." The video allows the child to follow along page-by-page as I read this rhyming story. Children can follow the words and pictures in their own copy or simply listen. 

Hearing and seeing the words helps them associate the written word to the sounds which are crucial for learning to read independently. Videos are also perfect for during car rides when mom or dad are busy driving, but the little ones can still journey together through stories!

In addition to literacy skills, read-aloud videos encourage the joy of reading. Allowing children to actively engage rather than passively watch entertains them while exposing them to new vocabulary, concepts, and more. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel and stay tuned for more of new favorite picture books brought to life through read-along videos!

Reading opens infinite worlds; let’s explore them together.

You can order a copy of "itty Bitty Kitty at Home" here so your child can turn the pages along with the video.


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