Download Word Study Groups

Redesign of Spelling Curriculum
Word Study in Third Grade
Jennifer Noel (Tovar)
TE 842 Focus Project
Description of Current Program
Spelling Lists taken from StoryTown
reading curriculum
 A pre-test is given on the words. If a
student scores 90% or above, he/she
studies a more challenging list of words
that follow the same pattern
 Students complete a Spelling Tic-Tac-Toe
each week in class to practice words

Best Practices in Current Program
Early word lists follow phonics patterns and
onset and rime instruction which has been
found to be an effective form on phonics
instruction
 Many word lists focus on prefixes, suffixes,
and roots which “are the building blocks of
big words”
 Allows for differentiation based on
assessment (assessment driving instruction)

(Morrow & Gambrell, 2011)
Deficits of Current Program
While the current program allows for
differentiation for high level spellers, low
achieving students have not shown much
improvement over the year
 In-class activities are not particularly
engaging for students
 Students become complacent in the
routine and do not perform up to
expectations

Rational for Change




Low achieving students need differentiation
and to work with spelling patterns that they
have not yet mastered
High achieving students should be studying
new word relationships rather than patterns
they have already mastered
In-class activities should be engaging and fun
while reinforcing skills at all levels
Students should have different experiences
with words each week to avoid complacency
New Program:
What is Word Study
Word Study is the integration of phonics,
spelling, and vocabulary instruction
 Students gain a basic knowledge of the
English language and how words are
related to each other (phonics and
spelling)
 Students also increase their knowledge of
word meanings (vocabulary)

(Bear, et al, 2012)
New Program:
The Purpose of Word Study
Word study provides students with
opportunities to investigate and
understand the patterns in words
 Knowledge of these patterns means that
students needn't learn to spell one word
at a time
 It also develops students' abilities in
phonics, word recognition, and vocabulary

(Leipzig, 2000)
New Program:
The Basics of Word Study
There are distinct stages in a student’s
phonics and spelling development
 Students’ spelling abilities are assessed,
then students are grouped based on the
stage they are currently in
 Differentiated instruction and hands on
activities are given to each group of
learners

Standards Addressed

Common Core State Standards
◦ RF.3.3. Know and apply grade-level phonics
and word analysis skills in decoding words
 Identify and know the meaning of the most
common prefixes and derivational suffixes.
 Decode words with common Latin suffixes.
 Decode multisyllable words.
 Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
Anticipated Outcomes
Low achieving students will explore
words at their level and move through the
stages of development quicker
 High achieving students will learn new
patterns and word relationships rather
than practice patterns they have already
mastered
 All students will be more engaged in
learning and exploring word relationships

New Instructional Practices:
Assessment

At the start of the school year, a spelling
inventory will be administered to all students in a
class.
◦ Elementary Spelling Inventory (Words Their Way)

Other phonics inventories will be administered to
students as needed
◦ Informal Phonics Inventory
◦ Z-Test
◦ Test of Knowledge of Onsets

Inventories will be administered again at each
quarter to monitor student progress. (McKenna &
Dougherty Stahl, 2009)
Stages of Development

After analyzing the inventories, students
will be placed into 2-4 groups based on
their current stage of development:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Emergent Spelling (Pre-K – Mid 1st)
Letter Name-Alphabetic Spelling (K – Mid 2nd)
Within Word Pattern Spelling (1st – Mid 4th)
Syllables and Affixes Spelling (3rd – 8th)
Derivational Relations Spelling (5th – 12th)
Emergent Spelling

Letters to represent words, even if
illegible
◦ Bear is represented as MSDF

Students begin to represent words using
initial or final sounds
◦ Jam is represented by J

Students may write the initial sound, then
add other letters
◦ Fish is represented by FZTHSLT
(McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009)
Letter Name – Alphabetic Spelling

Students may use the letter name to
represent sounds
◦ Girl may be spelled GRL
◦ Letter may be spelled LETR

Students include vowels, either correctly
or incorrectly, which shows understanding
of the alphabetic principal
◦ Bear may be spelled BAR
◦ Hen may be spelled HAN
(McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009)
Within Word Pattern Spelling
Students consistently spell words with short
vowels correctly
 Begin to show sensitivity to patterns within
words
 Make distinctions between long and short
vowels
 Use long vowel markers, although not always
correctly

◦ Bake may be spelled BAIK, but not BAK

Children begin to use –ed and –ing endings
(McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009)
Syllables and Affixes Spelling




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Represents children’s understanding of how
syllables fit together
Students consistently spell –ed and –ing
words correctly
Students understand when a consonant
needs to be doubled and when it does not
Learn conventions such as using –y and –le
at the ends of words
Students master morphemes that have not
meaning as well as tense or number
morphemes
(McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009)
Derivational Relations Spelling

Students use semantic relationships
between words that are pronounced
differently to spell conventionally
◦ Use the word fantasy to spell fantastic and
fantasize

This stage may continue through
adulthood
(McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009)
Differentiated Spelling Lists

Each group of students will be given
weekly word lists from the spelling stage
they are in
◦ i.e. Within Word Stage may get a word list of
short and long a sound words

Lists can come from a variety of
resources:
◦ Modified from a Reading Series
◦ Words Their Way word sort books
◦ Other spelling program materials
Pre-Tests and Word Sorts
Students are given a pre-test on the word
list when it is introduced
 Students then cut out and physically sort
the words based on the pattern that is to
be studied

Independent Practice

Students engage in activities to reinforce
the pattern that is being studied during
Daily 5 (Word Work)
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Additional word sorts
Games
Letter tiles and stamps
Wiki-sticks
Computer based activities
High Frequency Words
Students will also keep a list of High
Frequency Words that they do not know
 Each week they will choose 5 of these
words to study in addition to their
regular word lists
 Students will be tested on these each
week through dictation sentences

Weekly Assessment
Students will be given an assessment over
their word list each week
 Assessments will included additional
“unknown” words to determine if a
student is able to apply the pattern that
was studied
 Students will also be tested on the 5 high
frequency words they studied each week
during one of the daily 5 rounds or by a
parent volunteer

Materials and Resources

Words Their Way Word Sorts
◦ Letter Name-Alphabetic, Within Word
Pattern, and Prefixes and Affixes stages

Manipulatives
◦ Wiki-sticks
◦ Letter tiles
◦ Various games (teacher made)

Student notebooks/Folders
◦ For students to record and store their word
lists, sorts, and written work
Parent – Teacher Partnerships

Students will be assigned weekly homework
packets as extra practice
◦ Introduction letter to parents describing the
pattern that is being studied
◦ Activities for students to complete at home (TicTac-Toe or Spelling Contract)
◦ Suggestions for extra practice or additional
support


Parents will also be asked to volunteer to
help administer High Frequency Word
assessments each week in class
Parent volunteers will also be able to help to
prepare materials
Best Practices in New Program


Allows for whole class instruction, but also
requires small group lessons
Allows for differentiation for all levels of
student achievement
◦ Allows for more direct instruction of phonics to
those students who need it, while allowing high
achieving students to learn new word
relationships


Builds parent knowledge of classroom
learning and allows for parent and student
interaction at home
Allows for parent involvement in school
(Morrow & Gambrell, 2011)
Compare and Contrast
Existing Practices
New Practices

Differentiation only for high
achieving students

Differentiation for all levels of
achievement

Boring independent practice
activities resulting in students
complacency

More engaging and fun games
and activities used for
independent practice

Relies on whole group
teaching

Requires on small group and
one on one teaching

Word lists and activities are
already prepared

Requires more time and
effort to prepare materials

Does not build parent –
teacher relationships

Builds parent knowledge and
parent-teacher relationships
Reference List
Bear, D. R., et al. (2012). Words their way: Word study for phonics,
vocabulary, and spelling instruction (5th ed.). Pearson.
Leipzig, D. H. (2000). Word study: A new approach to teaching
spelling. Retrieved from:
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/80/
McKenna, M. C., Dougherty Stahl, K. A. (2009). Assessment for
reading instruction (2nd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Morrow, L. M., Gambrell, L. B. (2011). Best practices in literacy
instruction (4th ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.