My older kids and I ditched the old spelling-list-and-test routine. Instead we sort words into families and look for patterns, and playdough makes it way more fun.
Shaping each letter by hand slows kids down and gets more senses involved, which helps the spelling patterns stick.
How to Practice Spelling with Playdough
Sight Words Play Dough Mats
Get the printableWord sort cards for your child’s level
Playdough (try our easy playdough recipe)
Words Their Way word sort books (optional)
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Sort the words
Have kids sort the word cards into word families and read each one out loud.
Pick a word
Pull one card from a family.
Build it
Roll and shape each letter with playdough to spell the word.
Read and repeat
Read the word, put the card back and move to the next word in the family.
Playdough Spelling Tips
- Focus on patterns, like -at, -ight or silent e, instead of random lists.
- Say each sound as you build the letter.
- Change one letter to make a new word: cat, hat, mat.
- Use a mat so younger kids can build right on top of the letters.
More letter activities
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Want more hands-on literacy? Our play dough task cards bundle has it covered.
The sight word mats include
- Play dough mats for sight words
- Instant PDF download, nothing is shipped
Perfect for
- Kindergarten and 1st grade
- Literacy centers
- Fine motor practice
Playdough Spelling FAQ
The brand name is spelled Play-Doh. The general word for modeling dough is usually spelled playdough or play dough.
Shaping each letter slows kids down and uses touch and movement, which helps them remember spelling patterns.
Word families or spelling patterns your child is learning, like -at or -ing words.
About 5 to 9, matched to your child’s spelling level.
More Literacy Activities
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From families like yours
Did you try it? Tell us how it went!
We love seeing these activities out in the wild: the lumpy letters, the snack breaks, the proud “I made a B!” moments. Leave a star rating, tell other parents what worked (and what totally didn’t), and add a photo of your setup if you’d like.
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