Words Which Way? CURR 511

What are you wondering? How does WTW work? Is it an assessment or a program? How do WTW levels relate to GR/DRA levels? What are the strengths? Weaknesses? How can I used this book as a resource for literacy instruction K-12?

Orthography How does orthographic knowledge support and increase literate development? English orthography is the alphabetic spelling system used by the English language. English orthography, like other alphabetic orthographies, uses a set of habits to represent speech sounds in writing. In most other languages, these habits are regular enough so that they may be called rules. In standard English spelling, however, nearly every sound is spelled in more than one way, and most spellings and all letters can be pronounced in more than one way and often in many different ways. This is partly due to the complex history of the English language,[1] but mainly because no systematic spelling reform has been implemented in English, contrary to the situation in most other languages.

Three layers of information Alphabetic- First layer of information- relationship between letters and sounds Pattern- Since there is so much variation in letter usuage, noticing patterns highlights the consistency in our language. This makes our sense making more efficient. Meaning- awareness of cognates and units of meaning aid our access to new words.

What do students need to spell and read in English? Students need hands on experience comparing and contrasting words by sound so that they can categorize similar sounds and associate them consistently with letters and letter combinations. (Alphabetic principle) Students need hands on experience comparing and contrasting words by consistent spelling patterns associated with categories of sound. They need opportunities to recognize these patterns in other words that they encounter in texts. (Pattern Principle) Students need hands on experience categorizing words by meaning, use and parts of speech. When grouping words by broad categories of meaning, students can see that words with similar meanings are often spelled the same, despite changes in pronunciation. (Meaning Principle)

WTW Stages

Emergent Stage: –Wide spectrum scribbles to images to letters and letter strings –One sound represents one word –Symbol salad- approximations of letters so no constancy of a letter, strings, Ages 1-7

WTW Stages Beginning Stage: Letter Name Spellers –Ages 4-9 (K-3) –Beginning and ending sounds are recorded –Letters make certain sounds, more letter constancy –Omission of middle letters –Omission of vowels

WTW Stages Transitional Stage: With in Word Pattern –Ages 6-12 (1-4 th grade) –Vowel awareness, short and long and patterns, variations of vowel patterns –Digraphs, r controlled vowels –High frequency words must be learned

WTW Stages Intermediate Stage: Syllables and affixes –Ages 8-18 (grade 3-8) –Multisyllabic words –Syllabic juncture –Consonant doubling, prefixes and suffixes, past tense endings, open and closed syllables –Ambiguous vowels – lawn false crawl

WTW Stages Advanced Stage: Derivational relations –Ages 10+, grades 5-12 –Spelling meaning connections, derived forms of bases and roots, etymologies

How do you assess? Decide which inventory is appropriate. Give inventory. Score using the feature guide or the error guide. Look at the error patterns to determine the stage. Note where review is needed versus where instruction should begin.

I’ve got a stage… What now? Part One: After giving the inventory to a student or Psuedo student, In a word document- please list the words and their misspellings. Determine the level of your student Select two appropriate lessons for your student based on their assessment. Provide a paragraph describe the abilities and needs of your student in terms of WTW spelling features Turn into drop box for me to review.

What groups could emerge? Part Two: In the discussion forum post the stage of your student. Then- find a peer who had a student in the same stage as you. Discuss with that peer what surprised you about the students awareness.

So what? Part threeAs a group discuss how this relates to: –CAFÉ/DAILY FIVE instruction –Your teaching –Your growing conceptions of literacy instruction