Smelling and Spelling!

All of a sudden my kids have started tanking on their spelling tests.   I don't know if the lists are really getting that much harder or we are getting early spring fever and not studying at home - but I decided I needed to step up practice in the classroom.   Luckily, I stopped in on this adorable blog
http://goingnuttyinmisssquirrelsfirstgrade.blogspot.com/2013/02/smelly-markers-and-super-sales.html and found this super fun activity. This is totally Miss Squirrel's idea - just how it looked in my classroom!  So thank you so much Miss Squirrel!

My class seriously has begged me to do this over and over again since we first tried it last Thursday.   I bought this super fun box of smelly markers...  I love smelly markers.   I had lots of smellies but I loved this box because it had 18 - so colors like peach and other pastel colors!   I only had to add 3 get one to everyone.

I wrote a spelling word on the top of 21 sheets of paper (doubling each one and tripling the one I thought they would struggle with).  I had each kiddo clip one on to their clipboard,  set a marker on it and place it on the floor in a big circle on the outside of our mess of desks.   I played some super fun music (Say Hey - I Love You).   As the music was playing they danced in a circle around the boards.   When the music stopped,  they stepped to the closest board,  SMELLED THE MARKER (this is VERY IMPORTANT - so do not skip this step),  wrote the spelling word on the board and jumped back up to go to the next board.   Hilarious.  I seriously just stood and giggled.  BUT,  good practice and fun.  And their little rainbow dotted noses made me smile all day.   And they didn't stink it up so bad on their test on Friday... so there you go!

Happy Spelling!