Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check

Learn about the look, say, cover, write, check strategy that elementary students can use to help with their spelling.

What is Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check?

Look, say, cover, write, check is a great technique for children in pre-K and grades Kindergarten to 2nd grade to use in the classroom and at home when practicing spelling.

Teachers can use this method to help students reinforce their weekly words and overcome any spelling errors they may have made in writing work.

How do we use the Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check method in English and Language Arts (ELA)?

Look, say, cover, write, check is a method of learning spelling, where children:

Study a word
Say it aloud a few times
Write it into the second column while saying it aloud again
Cover the first two columns with a piece of paper
Write the word again in the third column
Uncover and check to see if they got it right. If not, write the word again in the fourth column

Why is the Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check method used in elementary school?

Learning spelling is an important part of English and Language Arts (ELA), and is a critical component of Science of Reading. An increasing body of research indicates that a research-based spelling curriculum assists children in developing Phonemic Awareness (PA) and phonics skills, which contributes to reading and writing fluency later in life. Learning to spell helps children read and write more effectively.

The Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check method helps children activate each word with different parts of their brain. They look at the word (visual), say it aloud (auditory), cover it up and write it (motor), and then check their spelling (motor and cognitive). This combination of activities helps develop and reinforce the neural connections needed to learn each word.

How can I make a look, say, cover, write, check worksheet?

Worksheet Creator for Spelling is a free tool that allows teachers to create look, say, cover, write, check worksheets for their students.

Simply enter the words you want to include in a worksheet, choose one of the Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check templates, and download the worksheet.

Create a Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check worksheet

Video resources

This video explains how to use Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check: