1. Redesign of Spelling Curriculum Word Study in Third Grade Jennifer Noel (Tovar) TE 842 Focus Project

2. Description of Current Program Spelling Lists taken from StoryTown reading curriculum A pre-test is given on the words. If a student scores 90% or above, he/she studies a more challenging list of words that follow the same pattern Students complete a Spelling Tic-Tac-Toe each week in class to practice words

3. Best Practices in Current Program Early word lists follow phonics patterns and onset and rime instruction which has been found to be an effective form on phonics instruction Many word lists focus on prefixes, suffixes, and roots which “are the building blocks of big words” Allows for differentiation based on assessment (assessment driving instruction) (Morrow & Gambrell, 2011)

4. Deficits of Current Program While the current program allows for differentiation for high level spellers, low achieving students have not shown much improvement over the year In-class activities are not particularly engaging for students Students become complacent in the routine and do not perform up to expectations

5. Rational for Change Low achieving students need differentiation and to work with spelling patterns that they have not yet mastered High achieving students should be studying new word relationships rather than patterns they have already mastered In-class activities should be engaging and fun while reinforcing skills at all levels Students should have different experiences with words each week to avoid complacency

6. New Program: What is Word Study Word Study is the integration of phonics, spelling, and vocabulary instruction Students gain a basic knowledge of the English language and how words are related to each other (phonics and spelling) Students also increase their knowledge of word meanings (vocabulary) (Bear, et al, 2012)

7. New Program: The Purpose of Word Study Word study provides students with opportunities to investigate and understand the patterns in words Knowledge of these patterns means that students needn't learn to spell one word at a time It also develops students' abilities in phonics, word recognition, and vocabulary (Leipzig, 2000)

8. New Program: The Basics of Word Study There are distinct stages in a student’s phonics and spelling development Students’ spelling abilities are assessed, then students are grouped based on the stage they are currently in Differentiated instruction and hands on activities are given to each group of learners

9. Standards Addressed Common Core State Standards ◦ RF.3.3. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words  Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes.  Decode words with common Latin suffixes.  Decode multisyllable words.  Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

10. Anticipated Outcomes Low achieving students will explore words at their level and move through the stages of development quicker High achieving students will learn new patterns and word relationships rather than practice patterns they have already mastered All students will be more engaged in learning and exploring word relationships

11. New Instructional Practices: Assessment At the start of the school year, a spelling inventory will be administered to all students in a class. ◦ Elementary Spelling Inventory (Words Their Way) Other phonics inventories will be administered to students as needed ◦ Informal Phonics Inventory ◦ Z-Test ◦ Test of Knowledge of Onsets Inventories will be administered again at each quarter to monitor student progress. (McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009)

12. Stages of Development After analyzing the inventories, students will be placed into 2-4 groups based on their current stage of development: ◦ Emergent Spelling (Pre-K – Mid 1 st ) ◦ Letter Name-Alphabetic Spelling (K – Mid 2 nd ) ◦ Within Word Pattern Spelling (1 st – Mid 4 th ) ◦ Syllables and Affixes Spelling (3 rd – 8 th ) ◦ Derivational Relations Spelling (5 th – 12 th )

13. Emergent Spelling Letters to represent words, even if illegible ◦ Bear is represented as MSDF Students begin to represent words using initial or final sounds ◦ Jam is represented by J Students may write the initial sound, then add other letters ◦ Fish is represented by FZTHSLT (McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009)

14. Letter Name – Alphabetic Spelling Students may use the letter name to represent sounds ◦ Girl may be spelled GRL ◦ Letter may be spelled LETR Students include vowels, either correctly or incorrectly, which shows understanding of the alphabetic principal ◦ Bear may be spelled BAR ◦ Hen may be spelled HAN (McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009)

15. Within Word Pattern Spelling Students consistently spell words with short vowels correctly Begin to show sensitivity to patterns within words Make distinctions between long and short vowels Use long vowel markers, although not always correctly ◦ Bake may be spelled BAIK, but not BAK Children begin to use –ed and –ing endings (McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009)

16. Syllables and Affixes Spelling Represents children’s understanding of how syllables fit together Students consistently spell –ed and –ing words correctly Students understand when a consonant needs to be doubled and when it does not Learn conventions such as using –y and –le at the ends of words Students master morphemes that have not meaning as well as tense or number morphemes (McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009)

17. Derivational Relations Spelling Students use semantic relationships between words that are pronounced differently to spell conventionally ◦ Use the word fantasy to spell fantastic and fantasize This stage may continue through adulthood (McKenna & Dougherty Stahl, 2009)

18. Differentiated Spelling Lists Each group of students will be given weekly word lists from the spelling stage they are in ◦ i.e. Within Word Stage may get a word list of short and long a sound words Lists can come from a variety of resources: ◦ Modified from a Reading Series ◦ Words Their Way word sort books ◦ Other spelling program materials

19. Pre-Tests and Word Sorts Students are given a pre-test on the word list when it is introduced Students then cut out and physically sort the words based on the pattern that is to be studied

20. Independent Practice Students engage in activities to reinforce the pattern that is being studied during Daily 5 (Word Work) ◦ Additional word sorts ◦ Games ◦ Letter tiles and stamps ◦ Wiki-sticks ◦ Computer based activities

21. High Frequency Words Students will also keep a list of High Frequency Words that they do not know Each week they will choose 5 of these words to study in addition to their regular word lists Students will be tested on these each week through dictation sentences

22. Weekly Assessment Students will be given an assessment over their word list each week Assessments will included additional “unknown” words to determine if a student is able to apply the pattern that was studied Students will also be tested on the 5 high frequency words they studied each week during one of the daily 5 rounds or by a parent volunteer

23. Materials and Resources Words Their Way Word Sorts ◦ Letter Name-Alphabetic, Within Word Pattern, and Prefixes and Affixes stages Manipulatives ◦ Wiki-sticks ◦ Letter tiles ◦ Various games (teacher made) Student notebooks/Folders ◦ For students to record and store their word lists, sorts, and written work

24. Parent – Teacher Partnerships Students will be assigned weekly homework packets as extra practice ◦ Introduction letter to parents describing the pattern that is being studied ◦ Activities for students to complete at home (Tic- Tac-Toe or Spelling Contract) ◦ Suggestions for extra practice or additional support Parents will also be asked to volunteer to help administer High Frequency Word assessments each week in class Parent volunteers will also be able to help to prepare materials

25. Best Practices in New Program Allows for whole class instruction, but also requires small group lessons Allows for differentiation for all levels of student achievement ◦ Allows for more direct instruction of phonics to those students who need it, while allowing high achieving students to learn new word relationships Builds parent knowledge of classroom learning and allows for parent and student interaction at home Allows for parent involvement in school (Morrow & Gambrell, 2011)

26. Compare and Contrast Existing PracticesNew Practices Differentiation only for high achieving students Boring independent practice activities resulting in students complacency Relies on whole group teaching Word lists and activities are already prepared Does not build parent – teacher relationships Differentiation for all levels of achievement More engaging and fun games and activities used for independent practice Requires on small group and one on one teaching Requires more time and effort to prepare materials Builds parent knowledge and parent-teacher relationships

27. Reference List Bear, D. R., et al. (2012). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction (5 th ed.). Pearson. Leipzig, D. H. (2000). Word study: A new approach to teaching spelling. Retrieved from: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/80/ http://www.readingrockets.org/article/80/ McKenna, M. C., Dougherty Stahl, K. A. (2009). Assessment for reading instruction (2 nd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press. Morrow, L. M., Gambrell, L. B. (2011). Best practices in literacy instruction (4th ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.