Spelling isn’t only about writing with pencils. There are so many practical ways to help your little writer to read and spell side-by-side. This particular idea is fun and engaging, as well as a great hand-eye coordination activity. Ready, aim, FIRE! Let’s get spelling and reading with our Washing Line Spelling Activity.

Page Contents
Materials Needed for this WORD Building Activity
We have included links to the materials we used to create this activity. If you purchase via the links we may earn a small commission.
Card
Pens
Washing line or string
How to build WORDs FOR A WASHING LINE
- Use a washing line, or tie string to 2 objects to create a make-shift washing line.
- Pick a focus sound, such as AI.
- Write that sound on a piece of card.
- Choose a variety of other graphemes (written sounds) to write on other pieces of card.
USing your washing line Spelling set up

CHALLENGE 1: Encourage your child to hang some of the cards in various orders to create a variety of word. E.g. if you have cards reading AI, L, R, N, S, your child could make RAIL, RAILS, SAIL, SNAIL, NAIL, NAILS etc.
CHALLENGE 2: Call out a word and your child organises the available letter cards to spell the word.
CHALLENGE 3: Use a water pistol to shoot the sounds you call out or shoot each sound in order to help read the word hanging on the line.
REMEMBER!
When moving on to writing, always get them to say the sentence over and over to help it stick in their heads. They need to be focusing on the spelling rather than on remembering the next word. For some more tips on writing, check out our post on Writing with Sound Mats.
Get more resources for Learning to Read and Write in our Store – check out the Phase 2 and 3 Sound Mats to Purchase now


mORE bUILD A woRD ACTIVITIES FOR LEARNING TO READ AND wRITE

