Shaping Spelling

Easy, No-Prep Spelling Worksheets

Months of the Year

Days of the Week

By Dr. Nicole Caldwell

AutismHomeschoolSuccess.com

PositivelyAutism.com

Visual

Prompts

Credits

Cover clip art copyright Laura Strickland. These images are

from Whimsy Clips.

About Dr. Caldwell

Hi! I'm Dr. Nicole Caldwell, and I've been teaching children and teens with autism for about 14 years. I work with children in their homes to help them learn social skills, communication and language, and academics.

I specialize in teaching:

• Language and communication skills (during play-based activities),

• In-home math instruction for students who have difficulties with understanding and retaining math and/or anxiety about math, and

• Science/coding/3D modeling tutoring for all ages.

If you’re in the Dallas/Rockwall, Texas area and would like to learn more about working with me, please send an e-mail to nicole@positivelyautism.com and we’ll set up a free initial consultation.

About Shaping Spelling

By Nicole Caldwell, Ph.D., Founder of Positively Autism

Thank you so much for downloading this spelling program. I’ve been using this method with my students for years, and it has helped them to learn spelling words quickly and without problem behavior or resistance. I’m not a big fan of worksheets, but these pages are designed to make learning the spelling words easy and efficient, so that students can quickly work on their words and move on to other activities. I hope they help your students as much as they’ve helped mine.

How the Spelling Program Works

When I was working on my Master’s degree in special education, one of my favorite books that we read was “The Technology of Teaching” by B.F. Skinner. In this book, Skinner outlined ways that teaching could be made more effective and individualized using behavioral principles. I’ve based this spelling program on the systems of prompts and prompt fading that were described in this book.

The prompts built into these spelling worksheets allow students to easily visualize what they need to do (with minimal instructions or involvement by the teacher). The worksheets start by having the student do easier work (filling in one missing letter), then slowly increase the difficulty until they are spelling the word independently. This builds momentum and motivation to do the work. The principle behind this is called shaping.

About Shaping Spelling, Continued

By Nicole Caldwell, Ph.D., Founder of Positively Autism

Shaping

In basic terms, shaping means that we work on small steps toward a larger goal. The spelling program starts with higher levels of prompts and gradually increases independence until the students are spelling the word on their own.

How to Use

To use this program, each week you’ll choose a set of words to be your child or student’s weekly spelling list. You can choose about 5 – 10 words, depending on your child’s educational needs. You can choose words based on a theme, such as events in your child’s life, things that you are reading about or studying, or words in another spelling curriculum. You can also choose a theme such as “months” or “shapes.”

Give a spelling test at the beginning of the week, and use this method to practice the words that your child misses. Practice each missed word with one of these kind of worksheets about 1-3 times during the week. You can use the worksheets along with other spelling activities if you choose.

If a word you want to work on doesn’t have a worksheet in this download, you can write it by hand, using the attached worksheets as a guide. That’s what I do most of the time.

1. _______________

2. _______________

3. _______________

4. _______________

5. _______________

6. _______________

7. _______________

8. _______________

9. _______________

10. _______________

Weekly Tracking Sheet

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell January.

___anuary Jan___ary Januar___

J___nuary Ja___uary Janua___y

___anu___ry J___nua___y Ja___ ___ary

J___ ___uary Ja___ ___ary

J___n___ary Janua ___ ___

___a___u___r___ J___n___a___y

___ ___ ___ ___ ary Janu___ ___ ___

___a___u___r___ J___n___a___y

___ ___ ___ ___ ary Janu___ ___ ___

J ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell February.

___ebruary Febru___ry F___bruary

Fe___ruary Februa___y Februar___

Feb___u___ry F___br___ary

Fe___ ___uary Februa___ ___

___ ___bru___ry Fe___ ___ ___ary

___e___r___a___y F___b___u___r___

___ ___ ___ ___uary Febr___ ___ ___ ___

___e___r___a___y F___b___u___r___

___ ___ ___ ___uary Febr___ ___ ___ ___

Fe___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

F___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell March.

___arch M___rch Marc___

Ma___ch Mar___h ___arch

M___ ___ch ___ar___h Mar___ ___

___a___c___ M___r___h

___ ___ ___ch Mar___ ___

___a___c___ M___r___h

___ ___ ___ch Mar___ ___

M ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell April.

___pril Ap___il Apri___

A___ril Apr___l Ap___il

___pr___l A___ ___il Apr___ ___

___p___i___ A___r___l

___ ___ril Ap___ ___ ___

___p___i___ A___r___l

___ ___ril Ap___ ___ ___

A ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell May.

___ay M___y Ma___

M___y M___y ___ay

___a___ M ___ ___

___a___ Ma___

___ ___y M___ ___

M ___ ___

___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell June.

___une J___ne Jun___

Ju___e J___ne ___une

___un___ J___ ___e J___n___

___u___e J___n___

___ ___ne Ju___ ___

___u___e J___n___

___ ___ne Ju___ ___

J ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell July.

___uly J___ly Jul___

Ju___y J___ly ___uly

___ul___ J___ ___y J___l___

___u___y J___l___

___ ___ly Ju___ ___

___u___y J___l___

___ ___ly Ju___ ___

J ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell August.

___ugust Au___ust Augus___

A___gust Augu___t Aug___st

A___gu___t Au___ ___st Augu___ ___

___ugus___ A___ ___ust Aug___ ___t

___u___u___t A___g___s___

___ ___ ___ust Aug___ ___ ___

___u___u___t A___g___s___

___ ___ ___ust Aug___ ___ ___

A ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell September.

Septembe___ S___ptember

___eptember Septe___ber

S___p___ember Septemb___ ___

___ ___ptember Se___tem___er

Sep___e___be___ S___ ___ ___ember

Sept___mb___ ___ S___ ___tem___er

___ ___ ___ ___ember

Sept___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___e___t___m___e___

S___p___e___b___ r

S___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell October.

Octobe___ O___tober

___ctober Oct___ber

O___t___ber Octob___ ___

___ ___tober Oc___o___er

Oct___be___ O___ ___ ___ber

Octo___e___ O___ ___o___er

___ ___ ___ ___ber

Oct___ ___ ___ ___

___c___o___e___

O___t___b___r

O___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell November.

Novembe___ N___vember

___ovember Nove___ber

N___v___mber Novemb___ ___

___ ___vember No___em___er

No___e___be___ N___ ___ ___mber

Nove___b___ ___ N___ ___em___er

___ ___ ___ ___mber

Nove___ ___ ___ ___

___o___e___b___r

N___v___m___e___

N___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell December.

Decembe___ D___cember

___ecember Dece___ber

D___c___mber Decemb___ ___

___ ___cember De___em___er

De___e___be___ D___ ___ ___mber

Dece___b___ ___ D___ ___em___er

___ ___ ___ ___mber

Dece___ ___ ___ ___

___e___e___b___r

D___c___m___e___

D___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell Monday.

___onday Mo___day Monda___

Mo___day Mond___y Mon___ay

___ond___y M___ ___day Mon___ ___y

Mo___ ___ay ___ond ___y Mo___d___y

___o___d___y M___n___a___

___ ___ ___day Mon___ ___ ___

___o___d___y M___n___a___

___ ___ ___day Mon___ ___ ___

M ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell Tuesday.

___uesday Tue___day Tuesda___

T___esday Tu___sday Tuesd___y

___ues___ay T___esd___y

T___ ___sday Tu___ ___day

T___e___day Tuesd___ ___

___u___s___a___ T___e___d___y

___ ___ ___ ___day Tues___ ___ ___

___u___s___a___ T___e___d___y

___ ___ ___ ___ day Tues___ ___ ___

T ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell Wednesday.

___ednesday Wed___esday Wednesda___

Wedn___sday Wednesd___y

___e___nesday Wed___e___day

W___dne___d___y We___ ___esda___

___ ___ ___nesday Wed___ ___ ___ ___ay

___e___n___s___a ___ W___d___e___d___y

___ ___ ___nesday Wed___ ___ ___ ___ay

___e___n___s___a___ W___d___e___d___y

W ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell Thursday.

___hursday Thu___sday Thursda___

Thu___sday Thursd___y Thur___day

___h___rsday Thu___s___ay

T___ur___d___y Th___ ___sda___

___ ___ ___rsday Thu___ ___ ___ ___y

___h___r___d___y T___u___s___a___

___ ___ ___rsday Thu___ ___ ___ ___y

___h___r___d___y T___u___s___a___

T___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell Friday.

___riday Fr___day Frida___

Fr___day Frid___y Fri___ay

___rid___y F___ ___day Fri___ ___y

Fr___ ___ay ___rid___y Fr___d___y

___r___d___y F___i___a___

___ ___ ___day Fri___ ___ ___

___r___d___y F___i___a___

___ ___ ___day Fri___ ___ ___

F___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell Saturday.

___aturday Sat___rday Saturda___

Satu___day Saturd___y Sa___urday

___a___urday Sat___r___ay

S___tu___d___y Sa___ ___rda___

___ ___ ___urday Sat___ ___ ___ ___y

___a___u___d___y S___t___r___a___

___ ___ ___urday Sat___ ___ ___ ___y

___a___u___d___y S___t___r___a___

S___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Name: ________________________ Date: _______________

Spell Sunday.

___unday Su___day Sunda___

Su___day Sund___y Sun___ay

___und___y S___ ___day Sun___ ___y

Su___ ___ay ___und___ y Su___d___y

___u___d___y S___n___a___

___ ___ ___day Sun___ ___ ___

___u___d___y S___n___a___

___ ___ ___day Sun___ ___ ___

S___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___