1. Words Their Way Beginning Steps

2. What is word study? Word Study= Phonics+Spelling+Vocabulary Words and pictures are sorted in routines that require children to examine speech sounds, spelling patterns and meanings of words. **Educate students and parents about what word study is (chapter 1)

3. Benefits of Words Their Way Increases a student’s knowledge of spelling patterns Increases vocabulary Connects spelling to a student’s own reading and writing Engages students in differentiated instruction

4. Steps to Getting Started Before school starts: Gather materials: All classroom teachers will get the large Words Their Way manual. Office mates will share the leveled sorting books that most apply to their grade level. Grade level chairs will have the other sorting book that may apply to a few children on your grade level. Each student will need a notebook for their word study. Word sorts will need to be stored in a baggie or envelope.

5. During the first week of school… Word Study begins with finding out what each child already knows and starting there. Refer to pages 28-32 for information on how to give the Spelling Inventory. Appendix A has all assessment materials if more inventories are needed: Students must generate a number of errors for you to determine a starting point so you may need to give more than one inventory.

6. Next Step? Score your inventories Grade each inventory and establish a Power score=Words Spelled Correctly (page 32, Figure 2.3) Fill out Inventory Feature Guide (page 33) Check off features represented correctly Points for features correct per stage and Feature Points are on the far right column. Refer to example on page 35

7. Filling out the Classroom Composite Chart Staple each student’s spelling test and feature guide together. Sort student papers by power score Record names and scores on classroom composite chart. Highlight cells in which students are making two or more errors on a feature Directions are on page 38, focus on numbers 1-4.

8. PLC Meetings: Week of September 9-13 Bring your inventories and classroom composite chart to PLC and we will analyze your results to create instructional groups. Groups are flexible but are determined by the spelling inventory and teacher observation of reading and writing. At this meeting, please decide on a time that you will devote to Words Their Way each day. 15-20 minutes is needed for effective word study.

9. Model, Model, Model! Before groups start, model the different types of word sorts (see Cheat Sheet) Two Types of Word Sorts: Teacher Directed and Student-Centered Refer to the Continuum of Support for Introducing Word Sorts, page 60 Table 3.1 Word Sorting should include reflection and discussion time. As students are sorting, they should be sounding out words, spelling them and discussing their definitions.

10. More Helpful Resources http://www.mypearsontraining.com/products/wordstheir way/tutorials.asp http://www.mypearsontraining.com/products/wordstheir way/tutorials.asp Shared teacher drive will have a Words Their Way folder with power points and resources. PD toolkit: http://pdtoolkit.pearson.com/http://pdtoolkit.pearson.com/