What 1st grade spelling works on
Many of these words spell the way they sound once your child knows a few letter pairs, like the th in then and the wh in when. Short words like had, him and just are regular. Others, such as could, give, some and again, have a spelling that does not match the sound, and those are the ones to practice most.
A good habit to build this year is to find the tricky part. In could, the c and d are what you expect; the "oul" is the bit to remember. In some, the o sounds like u. In give, a word that sounds like it should end in v gets an e, because English words do not end in v. Naming the tricky part is much easier for a child than memorizing a whole word.
The Common Core standard for this grade (L.1.2.D): Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words.
These are Tutorsaurus’s own words, chosen to fit that standard; they are not an official list, and your child’s school may use different ones.
How to practice at home
- Read first, spell second. If your child reads a word quickly in a book, they are ready to spell it.
- Look, say, cover, write, check: look at the word, say it, cover it, write it from memory, then uncover and compare.
- Use the week’s words in a silly sentence together and have your child write one of them in it.
- Keep it short: five minutes a day with the week’s nine words is enough.
- Practice these alongside the Dolch 1st grade sight words, since the two lists overlap.
Words to watch
- Could: the "oul" spells the short oo sound of book, which almost no other words do. Group it with would and should once your child has it.
- Some and give: neither looks the way it sounds. Point out the silent e on the end of each.
- Again: the "ai" sounds like a short e here. It comes back on the 3rd grade list, so it is worth getting right now.
- Know: the k is silent. Pair it with no, which sounds the same and means something else.