Words Their Way: Assessment and Instruction November 21 st, 2014 Betsy Sanders 5 th 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

alphabetic layer represents the letter/sound relationship pattern layer represents the ways letters work together to make sounds meaning layer represents the way groups of letters contain meaning

hare

aitch – a – r - e

alphabetic layer represents the letter/sound relationship pattern layer represents the ways letters work together to make sounds meaning layer represents the way groups of letters contain meaning

cap bed

alphabetic layer represents the letter/sound relationship pattern layer represents the ways letters work together to make sounds meaning layer represents the way groups of letters contain meaning

For example….. photograph photo photographer

alphabetic layer represents the letter/sound relationship pattern layer represents the ways letters work together to make sounds meaning layer represents the way groups of letters contain meaning

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 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 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 (compose/composition) O Dropping the “e” (date/dating) O Open and closed syllables (vccv, vcv) O Compound words O Changing “y” to “i” and then adding the suffix

End of Year Goals: O 3 rd Grade: Early Syllables and Affixes stage O 4 th Grade: Middle Syllables and Affixes stage O 5 th / 6 th 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 letter- sound 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 Word Sorts Mon.Tues.Wed.Thurs.Friday Lowest Group Meet with teacher + Sort again Re-sort + Writing sort Buddy Sorting Re-sort + Word Hunt Testing and Games Middle Group Sort ind.Meet w/ teacher +re-sort/ writing sort Buddy sorting Re-sort +Word Hunt Testing and Games Highest Group Sort ind.Meet w/ teacher +re- sort/wri. Re-sort+ Word Hunt Testing and Games

Organizing for Instruction Word Sorts Mon.Tues.Wed.Thurs.Friday Lowest Group Meet with teacher + Sort again Re-sort + Writing sort Buddy Sorting 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 eH5KiH9lgw eH5KiH9lgw O 1:14 O 3:10 O 5:00 O Example Lesson: O QgwaM (1:30) QgwaM

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 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 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 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 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 City can be used O You don’t need to test students over each word from the sort – 10 words may be enough O Add a few bonus/transfer words O It’s good to make this a written sort and award points for correct category and correct spelling O 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!