Do you give spelling tests in Kindergarten? While there are some benefits to spelling practice in Kindergarten, I don't think spelling tests should be required in Kindergarten. Students are just learning how to segment words and make letter-sound connections. Spelling is an important skill, but there are some do's and don'ts that come with teaching spelling. So, if you want to (or are required to) give spelling tests in Kindergarten here are a few things to keep in mind.
How to teach spelling with a phonemic awareness approach
Spelling practice is an important part of phonics instruction. Students will learn how to spell by focusing on the phonemic awareness skill of segmenting. Once students are able to orally segment a word, then you will practice dictation. Dictation is where students hear a word, orally segment it and write down its sounds.
Here's what that looks like:
The teacher says a CVC word like “hop”. The students will stretch out the word- /h/ /o/ /p/, orally segmenting it into it's individual phonemes. Then, they should be able to write the word down- h…o…p. Once students are able to complete that sequence, they can start practicing spelling on their own and eventually start taking spelling tests (if you choose to).
When should I give spelling tests in Kindergarten?
Students need to be able to orally segment a CVC word and know MOST of the letter sounds, ideally 85% or more. After your students are able to spell CVC words on their own, you can start these weekly spelling lists and tests with them, using them to collect additional data.
Typically, this is going to be towards the end of the school year. In my classroom, I usually started weekly spelling practice tests in March or April. I never took these spelling tests as a grade. These were simply just for me to see how they were progressing when they had to spell independently.
If your students will be doing weekly spelling tests in First Grade, then this is a great way to get your students practicing the routine around taking spelling tests.
What words do you use for spelling lists in Kindergarten?
Research shows that spelling lists with random words are not beneficial to a student's reading or writing ability. If your student is given a spelling list with no similar phonics patterns, you are asking them to memorize how to spell random words. Giving students a list of random words does not help them use their phonemic awareness skills to segment and spell words. They need to practice segmenting words and spelling words based on phonics patterns. This approach to spelling practice is called “word study” because students are learning how to identify patterns in words.
As you are practicing phonics skills, you can practice spelling words with that phonics pattern. For example, if you are learning CVCe words, you can practice spelling words with that pattern. Another week, you may be working with short /a/ CVC words. You may choose to do a word list with words like “hat”, “bad”, “lap”, “cab”, etc.
In Kindergarten, your spelling scope and sequence may look like this:
- Short Vowel a Words
- Short Vowel e Words
- Short Vowel i Words
- Short Vowel o Words
- Short Vowel u Words
- Digraphs /th/ and /wh/
- Digraphs /sh/ and /ch/
When students are able to focus on one pattern or sound per week, they will get additional exposure and practice with that skill. This will help them become more confident in their independent reading and writing practice!
Phonics-Based Weekly Spelling Lists and Test
If you are looking for a done-for-you resource to implement weekly phonics-based spelling tests, check out the Phonics-Based Weekly Spelling Tests.
Use these phonics-based spelling lists to give weekly spelling tests to your students. Ultimately, this resource focuses on giving spelling tests that are aligned with phonics skills, so students learn how to spell phonetically, rather than just memorize the spelling of random words. It includes pre-made weekly spelling lists, editable spelling lists, and spelling test templates to fit the needs of your classroom.
No more random spelling words each week! Practice spelling words with your students by focusing on a weekly spelling skill. Each list is designed to have the same phonics skill or pattern in each of the words. These spelling assessments will help show you whether or not your students fully grasp each phonics skill. This resource could be used with Kindergarten or First Grade.
I hope this post was helpful in deciding whether or not you want to try spelling tests in Kindergarten! Let me know how you plan to give spelling tests in Kindergarten.