|
|
|
|
| ISSUE 67 | FEBRUARY 2026 |
| |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Decoding and encoding go hand in hand when teaching and learning with Superkids. The letter-sound knowledge children rely on to read words is equally essential when they’re spelling them. Writing the letters that represent each sound strengthens letter-sound associations and brings multiple learning modalities together—children see the word, say and hear its sounds, and write it. This multisensory reinforcement of sound-spelling patterns boosts their decoding skills, helping them read new words with confidence.
In this issue, we take a closer look at encoding phonetically regular words and share a few activities spotted in Superkids classrooms that will reinforce encoding skills. We’re also excited to feature an updated version of a favorite freebie, celebrating the return of an annual event students and teachers love!
|
| |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Teachers often ask whether temporary spelling is acceptable during student writing. Superkids coaches recommend guiding children to spell words correctly when those words contain phonemes they have already learned. If a child misspells a word they have been taught the tools to spell, prompt them to revisit what they know: help the child identify the sound or sounds they encoded incorrectly, remind them of the letter or letters that represent those sounds, and have them rewrite the word with the correct spelling.
When a piece of writing contains many misspelled but fully decodable words, support the child by correcting only a few and correct the remaining errors yourself so the child can fix these words as they rewrite their draft. The goal is to reinforce accurate spelling without discouraging writing for fear of making mistakes.
For words that include phonetic elements not yet taught, temporary spellings are acceptable. However, it is helpful to resolve these spellings during the editing stage so that children see models of conventional spelling.
|
| |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
The Daily Routines or Warm-Ups are essential and should be completed each day. These spelling routines not only provide consistent, meaningful practice, but also offer a daily snapshot of each child’s progress as a developing speller. Students who noticeably struggle with encoding during these routines typically benefit from additional practice. Frequent opportunities to read and write words help solidify sound-spelling patterns in memory. It is important to remember that some children who struggle with spelling may lack prerequisite skills for successful encoding. For instance, students who have difficulty isolating individual sounds in spoken words may need additional phonemic awareness practice. Likewise, students who struggle to recall which letters represent the sounds they hear will benefit from phonics activities that revisit previously taught letter-sound correspondences.
For teacher-led individualized instruction, the Ten-Minute Tuck-Ins (© 2017) and More Support activities (© 2026)—both located in the Teacher’s Guides—provide a range of activities designed to strengthen encoding skills. For additional support activities, © 2017 teachers can turn to the Superkids Skill-Building Book. Teachers using the new edition can find activities in the Differentiated Instruction Teacher’s Guide.
|
| |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Teacher-led activities are an effective way to reinforce encoding skills, whether you are working with individual students or small groups. The ideas below offer engaging, hands-on practice that helps children listen for sounds, link them to letters, and apply those skills in meaningful ways.
|
| |
 |
|
Flying Phonemes
For students who need additional practice isolating phonemes, this activity provides a fun visual cue. Students use a magnet to make a small butterfly “float” to show whether a targeted sound that is heard occurs at the beginning, middle, or end of a phonetically regular word.
Superkids teacher Sandy T. shares, “I first cut pairs of tissue-paper butterflies and use a glue stick to sandwich a light paper clip between each pair. Then I tie thread to the base of the paper clip and tape the other end of the thread to a mat with Elkonin boxes. I use the same butterfly mat often. But I change the words as we learn new phonemes.”
|
| |
 |
|
Build a Monster
On a large piece of construction paper, glue a simple monster body shape along the left side, leaving room on the right. Create a variety of laminated monster features—eyes, arms, horns, and more. The monster pieces from the Letter Muncher activity work perfectly!
Using a dry-erase marker, draw blank lines to represent the letters in an encodable word. Give a brief clue about the word’s meaning. For example, for happy you might say, “This word means the same as glad.” Children take turns guessing letters to fill in the blanks. For each incorrect guess, add a new feature to the monster. Challenge students to complete the word before the monster is fully built.
Hint: This activity could be used with many class themes like build a jack-o’-lantern, a turkey, a holiday tree, a spaceship, a flower . . . the possibilities are endless.
|
| |
 |
|
Word Ladders
Use a premade word ladder mat or draw one on a whiteboard. Begin by writing a word at the bottom that belongs to a familiar word family, such as bake. Invite a child to change the beginning letter to create a new word and write it on the next rung. Continue building the ladder as children generate additional words. Offer hints as needed to keep the ladder growing. Once no more words can be formed, begin a new ladder.
For an added challenge, work outside of word families and encourage children to change any letter in the word to create new words. For example, tall → tale → tape.
|
| |
 |
|
Scrambled Letters
Provide students with a set of letter cards that can be rearranged to form several words. Model how to manipulate the cards to make a word—for example, the letters s, p, o, and t can form spot, pot, pots, top, and tops. Students then take turns creating new words and writing any correctly spelled word on a recording sheet.
|
| |
 |
|
Big Book Cover-Up
If using the © 2017 edition, using the Big Book of Blending or Big Book of Decoding, select one word from each row. Cover a single phoneme in each selected word with a self-stick note. Row by row, say each whole word aloud and invite a child to identify which letters are covered. If they answer correctly, they remove the note to reveal the missing letters.
|
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Below are some fantastic independent spelling activities we’ve spotted in Superkids classrooms. Each provides meaningful, hands-on practice with encoding while encouraging students to work confidently on their own. Tip: Introduce these activities in smaller groups first, then supply the materials so students can complete them independently, with a partner, or with a group during independent work time.
In case you missed it! Use these labels to help students know if they should complete each task on their own or with friends.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
 |
|
See It, Build It, Write It
Provide students with picture cards showing words that include previously taught letter-sounds and letter cards. Students choose a picture card, place it on a reproducible work mat, build the word with the letter cards, and then write the completed word.
Hint: Pictures from student workbooks work well for this activity.
|
| |
 |
|
Building Mega Words
For this activity, supply large snap blocks labeled with graphemes, word cards featuring encodable words, and a recording sheet. Students read and study the word on the card, flip the card over, and spell the word using the snap blocks. After building the word, they check the card for accuracy and record the correctly spelled word on a recording sheet.
|
| |
 |
|
Word Tins
Assemble small metal tins filled with magnetic letters. Add craft sticks labeled with encodable words aligned to the sounds that have been taught. Students select a craft stick, read the word aloud, flip the stick over, and spell the word using the magnetic letters. Once finished, they check their work by turning the stick over again and then write the correctly spelled word on a recording sheet.
|
| |
 |
|
Snap Cube Spelling
Put extra snap cubes from an old math program to good use! Print graphemes on the cubes and invite students to build words with them using the letter–sounds they have learned. For students who need more support, word cards can be provided.
|
| |
 |
|
Crack the Egg
Fill plastic eggs with letter cards that can be arranged to form a complete word. Provide students with a recording sheet. They “crack” an egg, use the letters inside to build a word, and then write the word on their recording sheet. Students continue until all eggs have been opened and all words have been recorded.
|
| |
 |
|
Fading Letters
Using a teacher-prepared recording sheet, students read the complete word on the first line. On the next line, they supply the missing letter or letters that represent one sound that has been eliminated. On the following line, they fill in the letters for two missing sounds. This pattern continues until students write the full word on their own.
|
| |
 |
|
Cover, Copy, Compare, and Correct
Create a document with three columns. In the first column, list encodable words containing the phonemes you want to reinforce. In the remaining two columns, provide blank lines.
Students independently read and study each target word, cover it, and then copy it in the next column. After uncovering the original word, they compare it to what they wrote. If the spelling is incorrect, they write the correct spelling in the final column.
|
| |
 |
|
Spelling Structures
In this partner activity, students build “word structures” while practicing both decoding and encoding. Write decodable words on craft sticks and provide balls of clay. Partners take turns drawing a word stick and reading the word aloud. The listening child spells the word on paper. If the spelling is correct, the child adds the word stick to their clay structure. Children love seeing who can build the tallest or most creative structure.
|
| |
 |
|
Clay Words
While this activity was created for Memory Word practice, it could easily be used for encoding practice. To start, the student selects a word card and then reads and spells the word orally. Next, the student turns the card over and creates the letters in the word using clay. When finished, the student uses the card to check their spelling and then writes the whole word on a recording sheet. To update this activity for each unit, the teacher only needs to provide word cards that reflect new learning in the next unit.
|
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
|
|
| |
|
Beginning March 16, we will post a daily head-to-head match on our Facebook page placing the © 2017 Superkids characters in scenarios featuring a favorite sport or activity. Teachers can ask their class to vote for who they predict would win the match and enter the class winner in the comments. You can use the bracket to keep track of who came out on top in the daily matches, or you can run your own tournament with students.
The best news? We have created brackets for BOTH editions of Superkids! Teachers and students using the © 2026 edition can participate by running a tournament in their class or school with the bracket supplied. Use the sport or activity from our daily Facebook posts or create your own competition scenarios!
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
