100 Must-Know Spelling Words For 4th Grade
This comprehensive word list is a compilation of fourth grade spelling words your child should know. More than just spelling tests, these words will help your child read informational text and create an overall adult proficiency.
Why This List Of 4th Grade Spelling Words?
This master spelling list is designed for fourth graders and is based on the words that most often come up in fourth grade lesson plans. You’ll see the words throughout language arts curricula for 4th graders as well as social studies and science. Moreover, although some may be new words, this list represents vocabulary that is meaningful for life beyond the spelling bee.
Words For Spelling Practice
- about
- alive
- curl
- felt
- odd
- zoo
- dawn
- gain
- dear
- follow
- crow
- gold
- path
- safe
- giant
- degree
- roof
- useful
- aunt
- zebra
- self
- cottage
- tuna
- few
- zero
- couch
- evening
- world
- crumb
- decide
- wait
- uncle
- visit
- camera
- garden
- false
- cheer
- gasoline
- jaw
- noise
- fruit
- terrible
- voyage
- beautiful
- copying
- animal
- sink
- sharp
- paper
- surprise
- twenty
- amount
- cancel
- newscast
- twice
- middle
- paste
- avenue
- beggar
- guitar
- equal
- fever
- banana
- chicken
- animal
- forecast
- vacation
- fleece
- select
- slumber
- doubtful
- whistling
- recommend
- consistent
- stretch
- striving
- urge
- continue
- chimney
- alert
- pioneer
- graceful
- poor
- remind
- libraries
- sneezing
- neighbor
- machine
- laughter
- weekend
- shoulder
- quarter
- government
- impossible
- mountain
- scariest
- actively
- wheelchair
- vulture
- discover
How Do Children Learn To Spell?
The process of learning to spell is as complex as the process of learning to read. The good news is, if a child is able to read at a fourth grade level, they are also ready to begin to master the words in the list above.
Here’s a brief overview of how children actually move through the process of learning to spell.
Exposure
The good news is, our kids learn so much of spelling without ever explicitly being taught. Research has shown that exposure to the spelling words through reading in an already language rich environment does far more to help a child learn to spell than any other factor.
Memorization
When I was in school, we began each Monday with a pre-test of our new spelling words for the week. Then, we had to write each spelling word 5 times, every single day, until our final test on Friday. This is essentially using memorization to teach spelling.
Instruction
Learning prefixes and suffixes, speech sounds, spelling patterns and letter knowledge all contribute to a child’s ability to spell.
Spelling Word For 4th Grade: Practice Activities:
Because of the various factors in play when a child is learning to spell, these resources provide a variety of options for practice beyond the standard memorization worksheet.
These 5 resources are excellent options for learner practice. They incorporate movement and a multisensory approach to increase retention.
- Spelling Hopscotch – Draw a hopscotch square with sidewalk chalk. Add a spelling word to each square. When your marker lands on a square spell the word aloud before hopping.
- Clap It Out – Spell aloud and as you do, clap for each letter.
- Scrabble Tiles – Use scrabble tiles to spell each of the words on your list.
- Trampoline Spelling – Place the 26 letters of the alphabet all around the trampoline. Then, have your child jump to the appropriate letter as the spell the word out loud.
- Play Hangman – Use the spelling word list to practice with a game of Hangman.
