Big City of Word Skyscrapers

Spelling words, spelling words, oh how we're growing tired of spelling words. If you've been a faithful follower this month, you might have noticed a pattern - spelling word activities every Monday. (I think it's safe to say we're in a rut.) So, without further adieu, I give you the last spelling activity you'll see here for awhile.

Some spelling activities are best for review, after a fair amount of practice. This activity, like Spelling Race and Roll &Write, is perfect for that early practice when a child is just beginning to memorize the correct spelling of a handful of words.

The supply list is short: graph paper, pencil, and a yellow highlighter.

Make a Word Skyscraper

Along the bottom of the page, my son wrote the spelling words, one letter in each box. He spaced the words with one empty box between each.

Then he repeated the words, omitting one letter (either the first or last) on each line, making a stair-stepped skyscraper building for each word from the bottom up. The top of the skyscraper had just one letter (either the first or last).

Here's one of his skyscrapers:

i

in

inv

inve

inven

invent

inventi

inventio

invention

inventions

(The repetition of writing the letters again and again really helps my son with memorization.)

Who's Home in the Word Skyscraper?

Once each word skyscraper was complete, I had my son look at each line of letters (or each story in the skyscraper). Were there any other real words revealed?

In the example above, there were five: I, in, invent, invention, and inventions.

He colored those boxes with the yellow highlighter, simulating lights. (Everyone that lives on the ground floor is always home.)

Tell Me About Your City

With his city of words complete, I asked him several questions.

• Which skyscraper is the tallest?
• Which skyscraper has the most people home?
• Which skyscraper has the fewest people at home?

Repetition works. And spelling practice can be fun.