Doing practice tests at home will identify the words your child is having problems with and help reinforce the correct spelling of the words he knows. You should also do a practice test the night before the spelling test or bee. When you administer a spelling test, it is best to say the word once clearly, use it in a sentence and repeat it one more time clearly. Have your child correct his own work so he understands where he is making his mistakes.
Get lined paper and have your child write down all her spelling words. Go over the words with your child to ensure she has written them correctly. Correct any misspelled words. Then, have her rewrite the list 5 to 15 times depending upon how much help they need. The more words they get incorrect, the more practice they need. You can also have your child write down each word in a sentence, which not only helps him learn the correct spelling of the word but also helps him learn the definition according to seeing it in context.
Having your child say and spell her spelling words aloud can be an effective learning tool. You can squeeze impromptu oral exams in on the ride to school, at the doctors office or when you are shopping at the grocery store. Saying the spelling words aloud may help your child commit them to memory. It may also help him spell words he is having difficulty with because he can practice pronouncing them and sounding them out.
Children love playing games, so using games to study spelling words can be quite effective. You can look for computer software that helps children practice spelling words. You can also play games off the computer to reinforce spelling words. And try making your own version of concentration. Write the spelling words on index cards, making two identical cards for each word. Each turn, the player flips two cards over. If you get a match, she continues; if not, her turn is over. The person with the most matches wins. You can also play hangman with your spelling words. You kids will have to name all the letters in the word to win. Every time your child guesses an incorrect letter, you draw a body part for your hangman. These games help make the words more familiar to your child because they increase his exposure to the them.