Spelling Practice Routines: Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check

Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check

This routine takes a word through five short steps. It works for children and for adults learning new words, and it needs only a printed grid, a pencil and a few minutes.

The spelling worksheet generator on this site makes a practice table and a Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check grid from your own word list.

• Look: read the word carefully and notice any tricky letters.
• Say: say the word aloud, slowly, by syllable if that helps.
• Cover: fold the page or use a card to hide the model word.
• Write: write the word from memory.
• Check: uncover the model and compare letter by letter.

If the check fails

If the word is wrong, do not erase and hurry on. Circle the part that differs, then try the full routine again on the next row. Noticing the exact letters that went wrong is where much of the learning happens.

Tracing first, then writing

For beginners or for hard words, start with tracing rows. Tracing lets the hand feel the letter order before memory has to carry it. After tracing, copy the word from a model, then move to the cover and write step.

Handwriting and spelling practice can be combined in one sitting, because careful letter formation slows the writer down enough to notice each letter.

Missing-vowel practice

In a missing-vowel row, the vowels are left blank and the writer fills them in. This focuses attention on the part of a word that is often confusing.

Use it after the writer has already seen the word a few times. Say the word aloud, think about which vowels belong, and then check against the model.

Spread practice across the week

Short daily sessions are easier to keep up than one big session. Review a few words each day and revisit earlier words later in the week.

Keep lists manageable. Five to ten words is a reasonable range for many learners, though you can adjust it to fit the learner. If a list feels heavy, split it in two and move the hardest words to the next week.

• Day one: look, say and trace the new words.
• Day two: copy and write from memory.
• Midweek: practice only the words that were missed.
• End of week: a short check of the whole list.