Play Money Spelling Bee

For spellers:

Prepare a list of $1 (easy), $5 (medium) and $10 (difficult) words for the grade level. If working with a class, divide the class into teams of four/five students. Appoint a banker for each team to handle the money. That student would hold and keep track of the team's dollar amount.

I'm thinking at home I'd have to have different stacks of cards/different reading and spelling abilities. I'd probably color-code them by K, 1st, 2nd, etc with all the cards for K written in red and 1st written in blue, you get the idea. Then I'd probably be the banker and keep the score on our chalkboard or something.

Each student will then choose the dollar level he wants to try when his turn comes. Explain to the students that it is better to pick a $1 word and get it right than to try a $10 word and get it wrong. Play for a set number or turns for each child or set time limit.

No one is ever "out" in this game even if they miss a word. After each turn, the students just go to the "end of the line" and await the next turn.

Idea came from the book, Great Teacher Projects K-8, by Laura Mayne.