Teachers can use Miss Spell's Class both in whole-class instruction and with individual students. As part of whole-class instruction, the game gives teachers another tool to use as a bellringer activity to get kids warmed up and ready to learn. Teachers could have one class compete against another, or could partner with other English teachers to have students compete against classes at other schools. At the end of each round, teachers can use the review screen to point out common spelling patterns or introduce students to the definitions of new words.
Individually, teachers can have students play the game when they finish work early or to inspire them during writing time. Teachers should encourage students to keep word journals or word lists in the front of their notebooks and have them write down new and interesting words they discover as they play the game.
Continue readingEditor's Note: Miss Spell's Class is no longer available for download.
In Miss Spell's Class, kids identify correctly and incorrectly spelled words. They choose from two modes of play: a practice round or a challenge match. In both modes, kids go through a round of words, identifying each word as spelled correctly or spelled incorrectly. At the end of the round, they receive a letter grade and see a summary of their answers. As kids play others, they see their progress over time and gain a basic understanding of the strength of their spelling skills and how they improve over time. In addition to helping kids learn to spell commonly misspelled words, the game also teaches vocabulary by giving kids the option of looking up the definitions of words.
As kids play the game, they encounter familiar and unfamiliar words. Time limits prevent kids from focusing on individual words, but if any pique their interest, they'll get a chance to review them at the end of every round. During the game, kids see words in random order, making it difficult for high-quality spelling or vocabulary learning to take place. The app does, however, serve as a way to keep kids' spelling skills sharp and to introduce them to new words.