Transcript Word Study
Words Their Way:
Assessment and
Instruction
November 21st, 2014
Betsy Sanders
5th Grade-Bergman Elementary
Think back…..
O What do you remember about the spelling
instruction you received in elementary
school?
O What do you remember about the phonics
instruction?
English is a crazy language!
Is Ricky correct? Is English a crazy
language?
O When two vowels are side by side the long
sound of the first one is heard and the
second is usually silent.
O Bead
O Chief
O reliable 45% of the time
O When there are two vowels, one of which is
the final e, the first vowel is long and the e is
silent.
O Bone
O Done
O reliable 63% of the time
(Clymer, 1963)
Are there any rules?
O When the letter c is followed by o or a the
sound of k is likely to be heard.
O Camp
O reliable 100% of the time
O When c and h are next to each other, they
make only one sound.
O Peach
O reliable 100% of the time
(Clymer, 1963)
Hmmm…..
church
chorus
champagne
meaning layer
represents the way
groups of letters
contain meaning
pattern layer
represents the ways
letters work together to
make sounds
alphabetic layer represents the
letter/sound relationship
hare
hare
aitch – a – r - e
meaning layer
represents the way
groups of letters
contain meaning
pattern layer
represents the ways
letters work together to
make sounds
alphabetic layer represents the
letter/sound relationship
cap
bed
meaning layer
represents the way
groups of letters
contain meaning
pattern layer
represents the ways
letters work together to
make sounds
alphabetic layer represents the
letter/sound relationship
For example…..
photograph
photo
photographer
meaning layer
represents the way
groups of letters
contain meaning
pattern layer
represents the ways
letters work together to
make sounds
alphabetic layer represents the
letter/sound relationship
Does Kelly
need the
same
instruction
as…
David?
Words Their Way is…
O An analytic approach
O A focus is placed upon using known words and
examining their parts for letter/sound
generalizations
O A hands-on approach
O Students manipulate words through sorting in
order to categorize, compare, and contrast
letters/sounds
O A developmental approach
O Students’ phonics knowledge is assessed and
instruction is designed according to needs
O A classroom friendly approach
O Effective word study can be done in 10-15
minutes per day
O KCCRS compatible
Stages of Spelling
Development
O Emergent
O Letter Name-Alphabetic
O Within Word Pattern
O Syllables and Affixes
O Derivational Relations
Emergent Spellers
WTW – p.22-23
O Understand that spoken language can be
represented on paper – shifts from scribbles
and drawings to letters during this stage
O Build knowledge regarding directionality in
writing
O Match some sound/letters(usually
consonants) – often substitutes letters that
“feel”, sound, and look alike b&p, d&b
O Establishing concept of word in text is pivotal
at this stage
Letter Name Spellers
O Instructional focus is on…
O Beginning / ending consonants
O Beginning / ending consonant blends (fr, dr)
O Beginning / ending consonant digraphs (th,
sh)
O Short vowel patterns
O One syllable words
Within Word Spellers
O Instructional focus is on…
O Distinguishing long/short vowels
O Long vowel patterns
O R-influenced vowel sounds
O Complex consonants (tch/ch, etc…)
O One syllable words
Syllable Juncture Spellers
O Instructional focus is on…
O Consonant doubling (drop/dropped)
O Long vowels in accented syllables
O
O
O
O
(compose/composition)
Dropping the “e” (date/dating)
Open and closed syllables (vccv, vcv)
Compound words
Changing “y” to “i” and then adding the suffix
End of Year Goals:
O 3rd Grade: Early Syllables and Affixes stage
O 4th Grade: Middle Syllables and Affixes stage
O 5th / 6th Grade: Late Syllables and Affixes
stage
Derivational Constancy
Spellers
O Instructional focus is on…
O Silent letters (hymn/hymnal)
O Adding suffixes
O Vowel shifts in word pairs
(impose/imposition, recite/recitation)
O Latin and Greek roots
“I thought
about the
word
position
and that
would fit
better.”
Basic Principles of Word Study
O Start where the child is
O Make word study and active, decision-making
process in which the children classify words
according to similarity of their sounds and
spelling patterns
O Base word study on contrasting words with
different sounds or spelling patterns
O Help children understand how the writing system
works – writing is slower than reading and forces
the child to pay attention to sounds and lettersound relationships
O Keep comprehension as the goal - learning
phonics enables us to decode unknown words
and write in order to communicate with others
Organizing for Instruction
Mon.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Friday
Lowest
Group
Meet with Re-sort + Buddy
Word Sorts
teacher + Writing
Sorting
Sort again sort
Re-sort +
Word
Hunt
Testing
and
Games
Middle
Group
Sort ind.
Highest
Group
Meet w/
teacher
+re-sort/
writing
sort
Buddy
sorting
Re-sort
+Word
Hunt
Testing
and
Games
Sort ind.
Meet w/
teacher
+resort/wri.
Re-sort+
Word
Hunt
Testing
and
Games
Organizing for Instruction
Mon.
Tues.
Wed.
Thurs.
Friday
Lowest
Group
Meet with Re-sort + Buddy
Word Sorts
teacher + Writing
Sorting
Sort again sort
Re-sort +
Word
Hunt
Testing
and
Games
Middle
Group
Testing
and
Games
Meet w/
teacher
and Sort
Again
Re-sort
+Writing
Sort
Buddy
Sorting
Re-sort +
Word
Hunt
Highest
Group
Re-sort +
Word
Hunt
Testing
and
Games
Meet w/
teacher
and Sort
Again
Re-sort +
Writing
Sort
Buddy
Sorting
Getting a Routine
Established
O Begin word study with the whole group and
focus on teaching routines
O All students have the same words –
teacher/closed sorts
O Explicitly teach all of the basic routines so
that students can become independent –
even how to cut apart words
O Teach students how to talk about the sorts
O Model the correct language
Getting a Routine
Established
O Begin to differentiate
O Start slowly – break off your lowest group and
work with two groups for 1-2 weeks
O Add the remaining group(s)
O Introduce student/open sorts as the
students gain more independence
O Chapter 3 in your Words Their Way book
outlines this process in much more detail.
Word Sorts: The Heart of
Word Study
O In word sorts, children categorize
words by sound, spelling pattern,
and/or meaning.
O Word sorting actively engages
students in manipulating words
written on cards into groups in order
to test hypotheses of how words go
together.
Examples of Word Sorts
O http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
eH5KiH9lgw
O 1:14
O 3:10
O 5:00
O Example Lesson:
O http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFm6CY
QgwaM (1:30)
When sorting words…
O Students reflect upon the
characteristics of a certain
orthographic feature by examining
words with/without the feature
O Determine how words are alike or
different
O Discover spelling patterns and
spelling/meaning connections
Types of Sorts
pages 56-68
O Sound Sorts – Emergent, Letter Name-
Alphabetic, and early Within Word Pattern
O Students sort pictures paying close attention
to the sounds heard
O Rhyme
O Initial Sounds
O Consonant blends or digraphs
O Rhyming phonograms
O Vowel sounds
Types of Sorts
pages 56-68
O Pattern Sorts
O Printed form of the word
O Visual patterns linked to sound categories
O Oddballs are introduced – this reinforces the
need for students to listen as well as look at
the words
Types of Sorts
pages 56-68
O Meaning Sorts
O Concept sorts
O Appropriate for all levels – can be used to
assess and build background knowledge
O Conversations about the reasons behind the
conceptual groupings are especially revealing
O Spelling/Meaning sorts
O Help students understand that spelling is
linked to meaning
O Homophones (to/too/two)
O Homographs (record/record)
Sorts with Different Levels of Support
pages 59-68
O Closed: teacher assigns the sorting categories
O Open: students determine the sorting categories
O Blind: students are not allowed to see the words
they are sorting until after they have determined
the category
O Word Hunt: students look for words in familiar
text that fit the sort categories
O Speed: students work to sort the words again
and again as rapidly as possible
O Writing: students write the words into categories
as well as manipulate them on cards
A Few Words about Testing
page 81
O You can use a traditional format – Spelling
O
O
O
O
City can be used
You don’t need to test students over each
word from the sort – 10 words may be
enough
Add a few bonus/transfer words
It’s good to make this a written sort and
award points for correct category and
correct spelling
A student’s spelling ability should be based
on more than test performance.
As you strike out on your
Words Their Way journey,
remember….
Slow and steady wins the race!