Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Boo!
Boo who?
Don’t cry. It’s only a joke!
Or in this case, it’s only reading. Sometimes the OO spelling pattern can throw kids for a loop: The letters don’t make the short O sound (like hot) they learn to read first or the long O sound (like rope) they know as the letter’s name. But no need to cry!
This adorable Halloween-themed craft and spelling game can make it fun to teach and learn the double-O sounds. Pair it with reading Room on the Broom for a complete Halloween story time activity that really reinforces the pattern.
Follow the simple instructions below to craft your own easy DIY Halloween spelling game and make spelling practice a hoot! You can also enter your email in the box to get a free printable template.
Set the Scene
Cozy up and read the Halloween classic Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson. It’s a sweet Halloween story and offers ample practice for those pesky OO words. Point them out as you read together and explain that OO makes the same sound as a ghost would, /oo/, as in BOO! Make sure to really emphasize the /oo/ sound.
Prepare the Craft
Materials:
- White paper
- Orange paper
- Scissors
- Black marker
Step 1: Cut out several ghost shapes from the white paper. Then write OO in the middle of the ghosts. (These are the eyes, and will also form part of words!)
Step 2: Cut out about 15 pumpkins from the orange paper. Write one letter on each pumpkin. Use B, L, T, M, C, and K, or any letters found in OO words. Make multiple copies of the letters, especially K and T. (Many OO words end in K—look, book, shook, took, hook, cook—or T—root, hoot, boot, foot, toot.)
Play the Spelling Game
Remind them again that OO makes the same sound as a ghost would, /oo/, as in BOO! Really play up your spooky /oo/ sound.
Explore: Let your child try different letter combinations with the pumpkins and ghosts to see if they can make words. Let them explore. Even if they make nonsense words, that’s fine! Read them aloud anyway and laugh together. This is all about learning the sound /oo/.
Challenge: After a few minutes, separate the pumpkins from the ghosts. Spread the pumpkins out so all of them are visible. Say an OO word aloud to your child and ask them to spell that word with the pumpkins and ghosts. Start with simpler words like boo, moo, or zoo. Then progress to words like boot, moon, or zoom.
NOTE: It’s important to note that OO can make two sounds. It can make a long OO sound like boo or a short OO sound, as in book, look, or wood. But, again, no need to boo-hoo: When kids begin to sound out words with the long OO sound, they easily and naturally make the jump to the short sound when they see it.
For example, a child might read foot to rhyme with hoot, but once they say the word aloud, they’ll tend to self-correct and say “Oh! Foot!” So, when your child is ready, you can point out the short OO sound and practice these words together, too.
Bonus: Complete your practice by making this smoothie recipe that also reinforces the ‘OO’ pattern.
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