First Grade Spelling Words
Be sure to check back here every week for the current list. You can also visit Spelling City to access spelling lists and online spelling activities for your child.
Click the link for your list below to
practice on Spelling City.
This week's spelling list: Unit 25
No Excuse Words
Throughout the school year you can also refer to the No Excuse Words list. The words marked with an asterisk are the Kindergarten No Excuse Words which your child should already know how to read and write at the beginning of First Grade. If your child does not know these words, please provide opportunities to practice them at home. All students are expected to know how to read and write No Excuse Words on by the end of the first grade.
Spelling Activity Menu
Choose activities from this menu to help your child practice spelling words each week. Be sure to give your child many opportunities practice the words so that he/she can spell them all correctly on our weekly test!
o
Write your
words in ABC order.
o
Write your
words three times each.
o
Rainbow
write your words using three different colors.
o
Write
sentences using your spelling words.
o
“Say –
Spell – Say” your words to an adult.
o
Open to a
page in a magazine or newspaper. Circle as many spelling words as you can find.
o
Play
Hangman with someone using your spelling words.
o
Write each
spelling word on two index cards and play concentration with someone.
o
Play the
One Minute Memory game. Study your words for one minute. Then, without
looking, write as many words as you can remember. Make sure you check them to
see if you spelled them correctly!
o
Take a
spelling pre-test. Write any words you misspelled three times each.
o
Cheer your
words for an adult.
o
Write a
silly sentence using at least five of your spelling words.
o
Write your
spelling words on the sidewalk using sidewalk chalk.
(Be sure to get permission
from an adult before you do this.)
o
Using
magnetic letters, Scrabble tiles, sponge letters, etc.
have an adult say a
spelling word then find the correct letters and spell your words.
First Grade Spelling
Unit 1
short a
Unit 2
short i
Unit 3
Review
Unit 4
short o
Unit 5
short e
Unit 6
Review
Unit 7
short u
Unit 8
long o and long e
Unit 9
Review
Unit 10
long a with silent e
Unit 11
long i with silent e
Unit 12
Review
Unit 13
cl,
fl, and sl blends
Unit 14
words spelled with ee
Unit 15
Review
Unit 16
words spelled with st
Unit 17
words spelled with ay
Unit 18
Review
Unit 19
words spelled with sh or ch
Unit 20
adding s to naming words
Unit 21
Review
Unit 22
words spelled with th or wh
Unit 23
words spelled with y
Unit 24
Review
Spell-a-thon List
Unit 25
No Excuse Words
Unit 26
More No Excuse Words
Extra Practice
high frequency words and days of the week
More Practice
high frequency words and months of the year
First Grade Spelling Information:
Below you will find information about our spelling program and the Take-Home Spelling Practice pages that you will find in your child’s homework envelope each week.
Your child will bring home his/her spelling papers with his/her homework each week. The spelling papers will contain the previous week’s test, Monday’s pretest (so you know what words they missed and need to practice), the practice page with this week’s list, and the two homework pages. The weekly homework contract/newsletter will have the spelling homework written in on the appropriate days (although they can actually be done any day that works for you). Each child needs to return both completed homework pages by Friday. Please remember that the list, test, and pretest do not come back to school. Just return the stapled homework pages. If your child goes to ESS after school, you may want to keep the spelling papers in his/her backpack so that spelling homework can be completed at ESS.
Please read the information below to familiarize yourself with our spelling program and the Take-Home Spelling Practice page that you will find in your child’s homework envelope every week. At the beginning of each week your child will have a practice page/spelling list that will be a study aid for practicing the words throughout the week.
The title at the top left side of the practice page names the spelling skill that your child is learning in that unit. The words in the speech balloon explain the strategy for applying this skill. It is a reference for both you and your child to help as you study the words together.
The Word List shows the words we are studying for the week. The list also includes special words for writing that will be on the weekly test. To help your child prepare for the test, say each word aloud and have your child write it.
If you have time or your child is struggling to learn the words, you may want to do the optional activity together. You’ll discover that it’s a fun way to practice the spelling words. Many of the activities have a phonics label. These particular activities offer phonics practice using the spelling words. If you choose to do these activities, they do not need to be returned to class.
Challenge words are also included on this paper. These words are a little harder, but are still related to the week’s spelling skill. Any child may attempt one or more of the challenge words on our weekly test. They will be scored separately from the other list words. If your child missed none or few of the basic & writing words on Monday’s pretest, I will expect him/her to study and learn the challenge words for Friday’s test.
In addition, your child may choose to have Personal Words. Each child may choose 1-3 personal words that they would like to learn to spell. These will be words that personally interest them and/or words that they are currently using a lot in their writing. They will be responsible for remembering these words and practicing them at home during the week. They will also be tested on these words on Fridays. If your child is struggling to learn the Basic & Writing Words, please limit the Personal Words to no more than one per week.
The Review units, which occur every three weeks, are somewhat different. Those pages contain only a Word List and the optional activity. There will also be review challenge words, but no personal words on review weeks. Your child's teacher will choose nine basic/writing words and six challenge words for Friday’s test during review weeks.
While you are practicing the words at home, we will also be working on them at school. Your child’s spelling book contains practice pages for each unit that we will complete in class. Some center papers will address the week’s spelling skill and we try to find time for spelling games along the way. Each Friday we take time to review all the words before our weekly test. It is very helpful for your child to have a practice spelling test at home on Thursday evenings as a review for Friday's test.
We hope you’ll find the spelling practice page a useful tool for helping your child with spelling this year. Please be sure to use the Spelling Activity Menu for a variety of ideas for extra spelling practice that you can keep at home. Some children will need extra practice to do well on our weekly tests. Please let your child's teacher know if you have any questions regarding our spelling program. As always, thank you for your help and support at home.