Spelling Rules Kids Need to Know
Learning spelling rules is essential for kids to develop strong reading and writing skills. Knowing when to use c and k and when to use ck or k for the sound of /k/ can be extremely tricky for beginning students. Teaching these two rules early on allows students to expand their spelling abilities. Knowing that there is a rule they can follow gives them confidence and makes spelling easier. Providing hands-on activities will help your students learn the rules and internalize them so they can apply them to new words.
C and K Spelling Rule
This rule helps determine if a word begins with a c or k. When your students hear the /k/ sound at the beginning of a word, they probably think of the letter “c.”
Teach that K comes before the letters i and e in a word. Like in the words “kid” and “key.”
On the other hand, the letter c comes before the letters a, o, and u, like cat, cod, and cup.
Having a visual is a great way to help students remember this generalization.
Go here to get a free pack of spelling rule anchor charts.
Practicing this rule with hands-on, interactive activities is so much fun! Digital and paper activities are available to support both online and in-person learners.
Of course, spelling is not just about reciting and writing words. To reinforce the C and K spelling rule, students need to be explicitly taught, provided with many examples and lots of practice. Activities like sorting, dictation, games, review, and verbalizing the rule help kids apply it.
One thing students love is cutting out pictures and letters to create interactive notebooks!
This Multisensory Spelling Pack includes engaging, hands-on activities for K-2nd grade learners, including those that support digital and paper learning. In addition to interactive notebook pages, the resource consists of:
►Anchor Charts
►Games
►Practice Pages
►Word Building Activities
►Memory Anchors
►Word Lists
►Assessment Ideas
Reinforce the C and K spelling words with activities and images using words like kite, cat, and cookies!
The CK and K Spelling Rule
CK and K spelling rule is very challenging for most students. This generalization applies to the END of words and is only reliable with single-syllable words.
When you hear the /k/ sound at the end of a word AND the /k/ immediately follows a short vowel sound, it is spelled ck. If a long vowel or consonant precedes it, it is spelled with a k.
As with other spelling rules, having a visual and examples is critical.
The anchor chart for the ck/k rule is included in Spelling Rules Anchor Charts.
As students are becoming familiar with this spelling generalization, it can be helpful to ask these questions.
• Is this word one syllable?
• Is the vowel short or long?
• If the vowel sound is short, does the /k/ sound come after a consonant such as l, n or r?
If no, add CK.
If yes, add K.
If the vowel sound is long, such as magic e or a vowel team, add K.
→ Sign up for access to my growing resource library and get free interactive notebook pages to help with this spelling rule plus other fun spelling activities.
Digital Spelling Practice
Using task cards is another excellent way to reinforce spelling rules, differentiate instruction, and allow for independent, self-directed learning.
Boom cards are the perfect way to use digital task cards in your classroom! To help understand whether a word ends in the digraph ck or the letter k, students practice on 32 randomized practice Boom Task Cards. Because the cards are self-checking, they are great tools to use for small groups, stations, or even self-directed, independent learning.
They are available for all the spelling rules. Check them out here.
Learning to spell the /k/ sound at the beginning and end of words can be very challenging for emerging readers. Teaching these spelling rules is a valuable tool to spell hundreds of words effectively and efficiently.
Happy Spelling,
P.S. You may like this post – 11 Spelling Rules that Improve Reading
Making the y to i Spelling Rule Fun with 3 Easy Activities