Download Word Study (Spelling) What is Word Study? Spelling was once

Word Study (Spelling)
What is Word Study?
Spelling was once taught through the memorization of a weekly word list. On Monday, students
took a pretest. In some cases students who spelled all the words correctly were exempt from the final test
on Friday. While many students successfully memorized the list of words each week, others were not yet
ready for the challenge presented by the words on the list. Still others already knew the words and
therefore, no new learning occurred. There was little or no transfer from the memorized words to the
students’ daily writing. Research shows that memorizing words and rules, without a sense of why
they should be learned, is not effective.
By memorizing a list of spelling words each week, students may learn a finite number of words in
their school career. However, by learning patterns, such as the –ake pattern, students will be able to build
many new words such as shake, taken, remake, and earthquake. This way of learning how words work
supports students in transferring their knowledge when problem-solving with new text and writing
unfamiliar words in all subject areas. This is the foundation of “word study.”
Word study is a problem-solving approach where the student uses many strategies to make sense
of unknown words. It is based on a progression of development and includes instruction in the
relationship of letters and sounds, patterns found in words, and the origin of words. Word study
instruction occurs in the context of reading and writing workshop. The desired result is for students to
become proficient readers and writers, using their knowledge of how words work to help them in all areas
of communication both in and out of school. Since word study knowledge extends beyond memorization
of a weekly list, student learning will also be assessed continuously through authentic measures, such as
the observation and evaluation of the student’s daily writing and reading.
Word study is taught using an inquiry approach where students are guided through explorations
of words. These explorations will help students discover spelling patterns, as well as generalizations that
apply to many words. Word Study teaches students to look critically at words so they can build a deeper
understanding of how spelling works to represent sounds and meaning.
How is Word Study organized and how will students be graded?
Your child will bring home a letter each week explaining the pattern that we are studying this
week. On that letter they will receive ten (10) words based on the pattern of the week. The list they
receive will be determined by how they score on a Monday Pre-Test (based on the pattern of the week).
These words are not meant to be memorized or written multiple times for rote practice! Instead,
students will complete a Spelling Contract (see attached) as homework that will allow them to practice
their words through activities meant to deepen their understanding of their words for the week. The
students will have had experience with these activities in class, so they should know what to do.
Additionally, students will choose five words from their “Personal Spelling List” each week. The
words on their “Personal Spelling List” will come from a variety of sources. We have begun to take an
inventory of high-frequency words that students can already spell. Words not spelled correctly on this
inventory will be added to their “Words to Learn” list. Doing so will give students multiple chances to
correctly spell the word. Students will also add words to their Personal Spelling List through
“BOLO/Tricky Words.” These are words that they find tricky and difficult to spell. Other sources of
words for the “Personal Spelling List” will come from lists for Other Important Words and Academic
Vocabulary (these lists can be found in their Spelling Journal). The five words from their “Personal
Spelling List” will need to be spelled correctly on that week’s test in order for the word to be removed
from the list.
Students will be assessed throughout the week with observations of their classwork, reading, and
writing and on Friday with a “traditional” weekly-test. It will consist of a total of twenty-five words (10
assigned words, 10 pattern words, and 5 Personal List words). The assigned words are the words they
received at the beginning of the week. The pattern words are words that fit the pattern, but they don’t
know what they are ahead of time. This allows us to see if they can apply the patterns we learned during
the week to correctly spell unfamiliar words.
Tests will be graded on the following criteria: correct spelling and correct sorting (1 pt. each) of
pattern words and correct spelling of “Personal Spelling List” words (1 pt. each). Any word not spelled
correctly will be added to their “Words to Learn” list for students to attempt again later in the year. Keep
in mind that a test may motivate your child to study, but their use of these word patterns in their
written work on a regular basis is what matters most. The application of spelling patterns in
everyday writing is our ultimate goal.
How can parents help students be successful word solver?
There are many ways you can support their word study learning. Below you will find a list of
specific activities you and your child can enjoy doing together while discovering how words work.
Suggested Ideas for Parent Support with Word Study
Encourage your child to write at home for a variety of purposes-lists, letters, stories, messages,
notes, etc.
Encourage your child to read a variety of texts that will introduce him/her to new words
Search for or cut out words in magazines, catalogs or newspapers that contain a focus spelling
pattern (-ick, -ack, -ash)
Search for examples of contractions, homophones, apostrophes, words that end with silent e,
prefixes, suffixes, etc.
Reinforce the strategic work done at school. When a child asks, “How do I spell the word
_______?” parents may reply:
o
What chunks do you hear?
o
What sounds do you hear?
o
Say it slowly.
o
Try writing it two ways and pick the way that looks right.
o
Do you know another word that sounds like that word?
o
Do you know another word that looks like that word?
In addition to their weekly spelling homework, you may also practice these activities at home:
o
Write any smaller words that you can see in the word.
o
Write something that surprised you about the word and something that will help you
remember how to spell it.
o
Write any words that have the same spelling pattern.
o
Can you add/delete/change a letter to make a new word?
o
Can you change any words to plurals?
o
Can you add any prefixes or suffixes to change the meaning of any of your words?
Our classroom website will also have a list of websites that you can go to play together as a
family.
As we go along, I will be requesting feedback from parents about parts of the word study process
that are confusing, need clarification, and/or simply frustrating and not working at home.