Ideas for making spelling and vocabulary practice something your child looks forward to.
14 September 2026
Seven games that get a reluctant child looking at, saying and recalling spelling words without a worksheet: word search, spelling hopscotch, mystery word, letter shopping and more — with what each one actually practises.
Read more14 September 2026
Three ways to turn this week's spelling list into a word search: by hand on squared paper, with a free online generator, or by photographing the list with an app. Step by step, with the settings that suit each age.
Read more14 September 2026
A word search with the spelling printed beside the grid is a copying task. Replace the word with a picture, a meaning or a spoken clue and it becomes retrieval practice — the single change that makes the puzzle teach spelling.
Read more14 September 2026
Twelve ready-to-use word lists for children's word searches, sorted by age (5–12) and topic, with the right grid size and directions for each. Paste them into any generator or app and print.
Read more14 September 2026
The four dials that set a word search's difficulty — grid size, word directions, filler letters and clue type — and the settings that suit children aged 5 to 12. Too hard and they guess; too easy and they learn nothing.
Read more14 September 2026
A word search is not just a time-filler. Done with your child's own spelling list, it drives retrieval, letter-order attention and repetition — the three things spelling memory needs. Here's how.
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