Short answer: A spell-a-thon is a pledge fundraiser. Each student studies a list of words drawn from their class's own spelling lists for about two weeks, then takes a short test. Sponsors pledge a set amount per word spelled correctly, with a cap, or a flat gift. Volunteers score the tests, families collect pledges, and the school reports the total. A spelling bee family night is an optional evening version.
This guide is part of school fundraising ideas. A spell-a-thon is one of the academic pledge events: students do schoolwork, and relatives and friends sponsor the effort. Some charities run branded spell-a-thon programs with their own word lists and causes. This page covers running your own, where the words come from your teachers and the money stays with your school's parent group.
What a spell-a-thon is
Students take home a list of words, find sponsors and practice for about two weeks. On test day, often called host day, the class takes a spelling test on the list. Sponsors pay per word spelled correctly or give a flat amount. Nothing is sold, there is no event to staff unless you want one, and the practice is something teachers already value.
It's a close cousin of the math-a-thon, which uses a problem booklet instead of a word list. The spell-a-thon is the easier of the two to set up, because the words already exist in every classroom and a test takes one class period to give. The guide to school a-thon formats side by side compares it with walks, read-a-thons and the rest.
Per-word or flat pledges
The list has a fixed length, so a sponsor can see the most they could owe: the per-word amount times the number of words. Print the list length on the pledge sheet and offer a cap.
Example A third grader's list has 40 words, and he spells 34 correctly on host day. His uncle pledged 25¢ per word with a $10 cap: 34 × $0.25 = $8.50, under the cap, so he owes $8.50. His neighbor pledged $1 per word with a $20 cap: 34 × $1 = $34, so the cap applies and she owes $20. A family friend gave a flat $15. His total is $8.50 + $20 + $15 = $43.50.
Example A kindergarten list has 15 words. A grandparent who pledges $2 per word can owe at most 15 × $2 = $30. With short lists, simple whole-dollar pledges keep the math easy for families. Give young students a participation goal (take the test, practice at home) rather than a dollar goal.
Two choices to make before kickoff and print on the sheet:
- What counts. The usual rule is words spelled correctly on host day. A kinder option is to count the better of two tries: host day, or a retest a few days later for words missed.
- Improvement pledges. Give a short pretest at kickoff and let sponsors pledge per word improved between the pretest and host day. This rewards effort for students who start with few words right.
The read-a-thon pledge guide walks through the same per-unit and flat choices for reading minutes.
Building the word lists
The best spell-a-thon list is one the students have mostly seen before. Ask each grade's teachers to build it from the weekly spelling lists they've already taught this year, plus a few words from current science or social studies units. That way the spell-a-thon is review, the words match your school's reading program, and nobody has to copy a published list.
As a starting point for length: about 10–20 words for kindergarten and first grade, 25–40 for grades 2–3, 40–60 for grades 4–5 and 50–75 for middle school. A few original sample words by level:
| Level | Sample words |
|---|---|
| K–1 | cat, sun, big, play, went, the |
| Grades 2–3 | friend, because, bright, could, people, little |
| Grades 4–5 | library, February, separate, neighbor, knowledge, receive |
| Grades 6–8 | necessary, rhythm, conscience, occurrence, accommodate, mischievous |
Print each list with the words in a numbered column and space beside them for practice. Keep the master list, in the order it will be read on host day, with the teacher.
Host day: running the test
Host day is the day students take the spell-a-thon test. Usually it's an ordinary spelling test given in each classroom, and it takes one class period or less.
- Collect pledge sheets first
Ask students to bring their pledge sheet on host day, or a few days before, so volunteers know whose statements to prepare.
- Give the test in class
The teacher, or a volunteer the teacher chooses, reads each word, uses it in a sentence and reads it again. Students write. For long lists, split the test across two days.
- Collect and score
Volunteers score with the master list in a school room the principal approves, record the number correct on each student's statement and return the tests to the teacher.
- Retest absent students
Students who miss host day take the test when they return, so nobody loses sponsors' pledges over a sick day.
- Celebrate as a school
Announce the participation rate and the school's total, not individual scores. A short assembly or a class reward works better than ranking students.
After scoring, send statements home with each sponsor's amount and a due date about two weeks out. Count money with two people every time; the cash-handling guide has the routine.
Spelling bee family night
Some schools turn host day into an evening event: a spelling bee fundraiser for the whole school community. It adds volunteer work but brings families in, and it can stand alone or cap off a classroom spell-a-thon. In middle school, members of an academic team make good pronouncers and judges.
- Teams, not solo spellers. Pair each student with an adult, or seat family teams at tables that write answers on a whiteboard. Nobody stands alone at a microphone unless they want to.
- Points, not elimination, for young grades. Everyone stays in and teams score a point per word. Save single-elimination rounds for older volunteers who choose to run them.
- Rounds by grade band, using words from each band's spell-a-thon list, with a pronouncer, two judges and a master list that includes a sample sentence for each word.
- Ways to raise money on the night: a family entry donation, team sponsorship by local businesses, and a "buy a hint" jar where a team can donate for the first letter of a word.
- Food: an evening event falls outside the federal school-day food rules, though some districts set their own limits on food at school events, so ask.
Including every student
Spelling is a hard subject for many children, including students with learning disabilities and students still learning English. A spell-a-thon can include them if the rules make room from the start.
- Follow the student's plan. If a student has an IEP or 504 plan, the supports they use for classroom spelling tests apply here too, such as a shorter list, extra time, a quiet room, or spelling aloud or with letter tiles. Their teacher or case manager can say what fits.
- Use the student's own list. A student working on a different list in class uses that list for the spell-a-thon, at the same length as everyone else's.
- Support English learners. Draw words from the student's own study list, add pictures for young learners, and send the family letter in the family's language. The parent letter guide has tips for translated letters.
- Reward improvement. Improvement pledges and a "better of two tries" rule let every student finish with something to be proud of.
- Keep scores private. Statements go home in sealed envelopes. Nothing about an individual student's score is posted or read aloud.
Themes and incentives
A theme gives the kickoff some energy and ties the posters, the letter and the celebration together. The kickoff assembly guide has a 20-minute run of show to build the theme into. A few spell-a-thon theme ideas:
- Bee Our Best: bee-and-hive decorations, with a class hive that fills as students practice.
- Word Wizards: wands for practice, and a "spell book" cover on the word list.
- Spell for the Stars: a space theme, with a rocket that climbs toward the school's goal.
- Spelling Safari: animal tracks across a hallway map, one step per class's practice milestone.
- Super Spellers: superhero capes or masks for the celebration day.
Incentives work best when they reward taking part and trying, not the dollar total. Some spell-a-thon incentives for students: a pencil or bookmark for everyone who takes the test, a certificate for meeting a personal goal, and class rewards such as extra recess or a pajama day when a class reaches a participation goal. Avoid prizes for the highest-raising student, which mostly reward family income. For more no-cost class rewards and how to score participation, see free fundraising incentives. The prize and incentive ideas page has more participation-based rewards that work for any pledge event.
Parent letter to copy
For a save-the-date, reminder and results letter in the same style, see the parent fundraising letter templates.
Printable pledge sheet
Spell-a-thon pledge sheet
Fill in the list length before this goes home. Per-word sponsors owe words correct × their amount, or their limit, whichever is lower. Pledges are paid after host day, by [due date], to [parent group name].
| Detail | Fill in | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student name | |||||
| Teacher and grade | |||||
| Words on list | |||||
| Host day | |||||
| Sponsor name | Phone or email | Per word ($) | Limit ($) | Flat gift ($) | Amount owed | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Words correct (filled in at scoring) | Total | |||||
Related fundraisers
Frequently asked questions
What is a spell-a-thon?
A spell-a-thon is a school pledge fundraiser. Students study a list of spelling words for about two weeks and take a test on host day. Relatives and friends sponsor them, either per word spelled correctly, usually with a limit, or with a flat gift. Families collect the pledges after scoring, and the money goes to the school's parent group for a stated purpose.
How long does a spell-a-thon take?
Students usually practice for about two weeks between kickoff and host day. Scoring takes a few days, and collecting per-word pledges takes about two more weeks, so the whole fundraiser runs about four to five weeks. Allow two to three weeks before kickoff for teachers to build the lists and for the parent group to print sheets and letters.
Where do spell-a-thon words come from?
The best source is your own teachers. Build each grade's list from the weekly spelling lists already taught this year, plus a few words from current units. That keeps the event as review, matches your reading program and avoids copying a published list. Give students working on a different list in class their own list at the same length.
What's the difference between a spell-a-thon and a spelling bee fundraiser?
A spell-a-thon is a written test in each classroom, with sponsors paying per word, so every student takes part at once. A spelling bee fundraiser is an evening event with rounds, a pronouncer and an audience, raising money through entry donations and team sponsors. Some schools run the spell-a-thon in class and add a family spelling bee as an optional celebration.
Can kindergarteners do a spell-a-thon?
Yes, with a short list of about 10 to 20 words they already practice in class, such as simple word families and sight words. Keep pledges simple, such as whole dollars per word, and let families help with practice at home. Score the better of two tries, and celebrate every child who takes the test.