Transcript Spell to Excel - Adams 12 Five Star Schools

Spell to Excel
An inquiry approach to
teaching spelling patterns
and generalizations
Outcomes
the history and organization of Spell to Excel
 Revisit a sample weekly plan for spelling instruction
 Understand word sorts as Spell to Excel’s core
instructional activity
 Consider research-based practice activities
 Explore the need for an instructional link between
Spell to Excel, reading, and writing
 Know the expectations for implementation.
 Know
What is Spell to Excel?
Spell
to Excel is a district-adopted program
for teaching spelling in grades 1-5.
It is an inquiry-based approach to learning
built on sound research (Bear, Shane and
Templeton of Words Their Way, Gentry,
Ganske, Snowball, et al.).
What is an inquiry approach to learning?
Students
actively seek answers to
questions.
Active involvement leads to
understanding.
The knowledge constructed can be
widely applied.
How is Spell to Excel organized?
This
program is designed to systematically build
spelling knowledge over time.
Teachers use grade-appropriate lists of words to
guide students in discovering the patterns and
generalizations present in the English language.
The lists include 37 common rimes from which
approximately 500 English words can be spelled.
“Week at a Glance”
To
implement the program, a
suggested weekly sequence of
instruction is provided.
“Week at a Glance”: Why it Works
Daily,
direct instruction is balanced with researchbased practice activities.
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Explicit instruction engages students in learning new
vocabulary in context, sorting words, and spelling by
analogy.
Practice activities are multimodal study strategies
(combine visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning
modes).
“Week at a Glance”
Since
this model is a suggested
sequence, teachers may:
 Begin
Day 1 on a day other than Monday.
 Revise the sequence or add other
research-based instructional activities.
Word Sorts
Word
sorting is the core instructional
activity in Spell to Excel.
Sorts engage students in thinking
critically about the way words look and
sound.
The Week Begins with Sorting
• On Day 1, students are introduced to
spelling words through a sort.
• What is the purpose for the Day 1
sort?
Purpose of Day 1 Sort
Engage students in
1) noticing and thinking about the
week’s focus pattern(s), and
2) forming a generalization.
Day 1 Word Sort
What
does it look like?
What are the steps?
Steps:
Day 1 Word Sort
1. Identify key words that
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illustrate the patterns/generalization to be learned
students may be familiar with, or will see often in
reading and/or writing
will support comparing and contrasting features
Rationale: Students will be able to use these
words to anchor their learning.
Day 1 Sort Cont’d.
2. Introduce the words in a way that supports
students in reading and understanding them.
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Provide a context for understanding the words
(sentences, explanations).
Consider providing a picture context to support ELLs.
Rationale: Students need to be able to read the words to
sort effectively. If students can’t read the words,
sorting will always be a visual matching exercise.
Day 1 Sort Cont’d.
3. Think aloud to model sorting by the pattern or
generalization.
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Compare and contrast features of words.
Engage students in thinking along during the sort as they
demonstrate readiness.
Rationale: Just as in learning strategies for
comprehending, students need to hear an expert
(someone who understands the pattern/generalization)
make thinking visible.
Day 1 Sort Cont’d.
4. Summarize and record the learning
(generalization) related to the sort.
Rationale: Verbalizing the learning supports students in
constructing the target generalization rather than
focusing on some less important feature (“They
rhyme!”). Students will need to apply these
generalizations to read and write proficiently.
Days 2-5: Direct Instruction
Week
at a Glance
Cloze
Sentences
Closed/Open Sorts
Making Connections
Optional
Lessons
Sentence
Develop
Lifting
a
Classroom Resource
Teacher-designed
lessons
Cloze Sentences
 Purpose:

• Build vocabulary.
• Practice using patterns
to decode words in
context.
• Compare and contrast
word features.
What to do:
 Create
at least 5 sentences with
the week’s spelling words.
 Write them on sentence strips
or on a transparency, using
blanks for missing spelling words.
 Together, read and decide which
words best complete the
sentences, building concept
knowledge and vocabulary as you
go. Reinforce use of patterns to
decode efficiently.
Closed/Open Sorts
 Purpose:
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 What
Revisit Day 1 sort by
releasing responsibility
to students for noticing
and thinking about
patterns in words.
Build independence of
thought by leaving the
sorting rule open to
student choice.
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to do:
Provide word cards for each
student.
Student reconstructs Day 1 sort
or sorts according to own rule.
Student may ask partner or
teacher to “Guess my rule.”
Sort may be glued in a word study
notebook with a written
statement about the learning.
Making Connections
 Purpose
of Lesson:
• Demonstrate how
knowing a key word
helps us know other
words (spelling by
analogy).
• Build knowledge of
pattern to apply in
reading and writing.
 What
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to do:
Identify a key word with the focus
pattern.
Model “If you know…, it helps you
know… .”
Repeat with other key words for
patterns in week’s lists.
Engage students in making
connections while stating, “If you… .”
Explicitly link this strategy to
reading and writing.
Sentence Lifting
 Purpose:
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Use a familiar context
to model and engage
students in strategic
thinking.
Assess students’ ability
to apply knowledge of
spelling skills and
strategies
independently.
 What to do:
 Select a sentence from the
cloze activity.
 Prepare for lesson per
“Sentence Lifting Routine.”
Plan models, teaching points,
and cues to support the
strategic thinking your
students need.
 Assess what students know
and need to know for future
teaching.
Develop a Classroom Resource
 Purpose:
 What
Actively engage
students in using
knowledge of patterns
and generalizations to
construct a classroom
resource.
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to do:
Use interactive writing to build a
word family/generalization resource.
Negotiate and begin list with a key
word that students can use as an
anchor to spell other words.
List other meaningful words that
students suggest.
Refer to during modeled writing.
Daily Practice Opportunities
Alongside
explicit spelling instruction, students
need practice time to:
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explore patterns on their own
build words in left-to-right sequence
make their own connections between what they know
and what they are learning
engage more than one part of the brain in learning
and remembering
become more automatic in recognizing and using
patterns
“Week at a Glance” Practice Activities
 Building Words
 Look, Say, Cover,
Write, Check
 Partner Sorts
 Reverse Chaining
 Trace, Copy, Recall
 Open sorts
 Word Hunts
 Games
What practice
activities are not
listed here? Why?
What is Appropriate Practice?
There
are many different ways
students can work with patterns and
words.
Reading and writing support students in
learning and applying knowledge of
spelling patterns.
Connecting Spelling to Reading and Writing
The
patterns and generalizations students
are learning will support them in reading
and writing proficiently.
Teachers can support this outcome by
including explicit links between spelling,
reading, and writing.
Explicit Teaching
 At
the end of a spelling lesson, clearly summarize the
learning and set the expectation that students should
use this information when they read and write.
 Model noticing and using spelling patterns and
generalizations during shared reading. Explicitly state,
“You can do this when you’re reading.”
 Think aloud during modeled/shared writing to show
students how you use patterns/generalizations to spell
efficiently. Explicitly remind students to do the same.
What about High Frequency Words?
High
frequency words are embedded
in the lists. Since they typically do
not follow patterns, these words must
be taught directly.
How are HFW taught?
Use
the suggested or similar routine for
teaching high frequency words effectively,
with particular emphasis on the “tricky”
part of the word.
Why is this part of the routine so essential
to students’ ability to recognize high
frequency words?
Reinforcing High Frequency Words
When
a high frequency word is taught,
ceremoniously add it to the word wall.
Engage students in daily interaction with
the word wall.
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It gives them practice in recognizing HFW.
It gives them practice in locating words they will need
for writing.
Refer to the Spell to Excel manual for word wall practice
ideas.
Rationale:
The
teaching of high frequency
words complements the study of
patterns and generalizations.
Students receiving direct instruction
in both develop into strong spellers.
How to Know What Students Learned
Weekly
tests are quick checks for
students and teachers.
The best way to assess what students
have learned about patterns,
generalizations, and high frequency
words is through their writing.
Assessing Writing
Look
for evidence of learning in daily writing
What
does the student know and use from previous
instruction?
What does the student know and use from current
instruction?
What is the student attempting but confusing?
What are the Expectations for Spelling
Instruction in District 12?
Teach
spelling patterns and generalizations
through daily, direct instruction and practice.
Follow the teaching sequence in Spell to Excel.
Teach high frequency words and plan daily
interaction with the word wall.
Explicitly link spelling instruction to reading and
writing.
Assess spelling in writing.
Implementing the Program
Remember
that building the routines
needed to support spelling instruction
takes time.
You will develop fluency with direct
instruction routines and so will your
students.
Resources
 Sets
of videos and CDs with clips from primary and
intermediate spelling lessons were given to each
school.
 The Spell to Excel manual contains a wealth of
information.
 A grade-level list of spelling generalizations offers
background information to support your instruction.
 Your literacy coach is also a resource. Just ask!