Download Stages of Developmental Word Study

Stages of Developmental
Word Study
By: Bethany Linkous
Fall 2006
Rationale
Why should we teach spelling developmentally?
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Students are not all on the same instructional
level.
To teach spelling well we need to know what
children already know and what they are ready
to learn.
Zone of Proximal Development
The Zone of Proximal Development refers to what is
within reach for students to learn. When looking at
children’s spellings we need to identify the students’ ZPD
or instructional level and plan appropriate instruction.
Finding the ZPD:
 What do the students know and understand?
(Independent level)
 What do the students show us they are using but
confusing? (Instructional level)
 What is missing? This is beyond what students are likely
to remember or apply. (Frustration level)
Developmental Stages
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Children pass through predictable stages
as they acquire word knowledge.
Each stage builds upon each other. As
students progress, they will begin to
internalize an understanding of the
generalizations of our spelling system.
In each stage children rely on different
strategies to spell.
Stages of Word Study
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Emergent
Letter Name- Alphabetic
Within Word Pattern
Syllables and Affixes
Derivational Relations
Stage I: Emergent
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Characteristics of Emergent Spellers:
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Period prior to the conventional matching of
letters and sounds in a left to write sequence
Lacks concept of word
Prephonetic
Late emergent: begins to make some letter
sound matches
Focus of Word Study Instruction
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Vocabulary growth and concept
development
Alphabet knowledge
Phonological Awareness activities
Letter Sound Knowledge
Concept of Word (being able to track
print)
Activities to facilitate emergent
spellers
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Read alouds
Alphabet books
Name of the Day
Interactive Writing
Language Experience Approach
Picture Sorts
Big Books
Stage 2: Letter-Name Alphabetic
Stage
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Characteristics:
 Understands the alphabetic principle: the letters
match to sounds
 Acquired concept of word
 Lack full phonemic awareness and only represents the
most salient sounds
 Middle to late LN stage: vowels are often
represented but confused and no long vowel markers
 Long stage for students to master
Word Study Sequence for LetterName Spellers
I. Study of beginning sounds
II. Study of blends and digraphs
III. Short vowel instruction (begin with
word families and the CVC pattern)
Word Study Instruction
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Word study in the letter-name stage
should begin with picture sorts for initial
sounds and then work towards word sorts
for short vowels and beyond.
Reinforcement games should be played.
Encourage invented spelling. This can
help you plan for word study instruction.
Stage 3: Within Word Pattern
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Characteristics:
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Full alphabetic: students begin to chunk
words
Good understanding of short vowels
Uses but confuses long vowel patterns
Reads at late 1st through 3rd or 4th grade level
Long stage for students to master
Instructional Sequence
I. High frequency long vowel patterns contrasted with
short vowels (ex. Silent e, double vowels)
II.
Less common vowel patterns
(complex consonants: 3-letter blends and silent
letters)
II.
Other Vowels: R-controlled, Ambiguous, diphthongs,
III.
Homophones and homographs
Continue with word sorts and reinforcement games.
Stage 5: Syllables and Affixes
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Characteristics:
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Knows blends, digraphs, short and long vowel
patterns
Uses but confuses use of inflected endings,
other vowel patterns, and unaccented final
syllable (schwa sound)
Instructional Sequence
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Compound words
Syllable juncture patterns in 2 syllable words
Inflected endings (such as –ing, -ed, -er, -s)
Unaccented final syllables
Complex consonant units
Simple affixes: prefixes and suffixes
Continue with word sorts and games.
Stage 5: Derivational Relations
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Characteristics
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This is our stage as spellers
Most words are spelled correctly but students use and
confuse :
-Derived forms with Greek or Latin roots
example: conference or conference
-Vowels in unaccented syllables
examples: resident, radical
-Affixes
examples: visible, confident
Instruction in DR Stage
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At this level spelling issues still exist but word study is
about vocabulary to a great extent.
Teachers should model their own curiosity about words
and strategies for making sense of unfamiliar words.
Meaning is very important to this stage. Students should
begin to understand that words related to meaning are
often related in spelling, despite changes in the sound.
There is less of a rigid sequence in this stage. This
stage offers more of an opportunity for incidental word
study lessons.
The Heart of Word Study
Instruction: Word Sorts
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Why is word sorting important?
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It draws attention to the features specific words
share. This helps students make generalizations
about the spelling system.
It is interactive and engaging for students.
Practice sorting the words into patterns will help
students gain automaticity (important for reading and
writing)
Word sorting is inquiry based where students are
learning about the spelling patterns through their
involvement in manipulating words.
Where do I begin?
1. Administer a spelling inventory
(Examples are in the book Words Their Way)
2. Use that information to determine the features the
student knows well, is using but confusing, and
features that the student does not know at all.
3. Identify the student’s instructional level and
developmental spelling stage and plan instruction
accordingly. Assess the student’s progress on an
ongoing basis.
10 Principles of Word Study
(taken from the book: Words Their Way)
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Look for what students use but confuse to plan
instruction.
A step backward is a step forward. (Contrast new
words with known words)
Use mostly words students can read.
Compare words “that do” with words “that don’t”.
Sort by sound and sight.
Begin with obvious contrasts.
Don’t hide exceptions.
Avoid rules.
Work for automaticity.
Return to meaningful contexts.
Questions?
Reference
Bear, D., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., and Johnston,
F. (2003). Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics,
Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction, 3rd edition,
Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall.