Word Study in the K-5 Classroom

1. Word Study in the K-5 Classroom Presented by Elisabeth York & Sheena Wisnasky

2. Which is correct? • Stationary or stationery • Drunkeness or drunkenness • Knowledgeable or knowledgable • Occurrence or occurence or occurrance If these are difficult for you to figure out, imagine how your students feel. This is why word study is important!

3. Perspectives on Spelling Instruction • Memorization- learning how to spell words letter by letter with rote practice “I know brain because I studied it all week.” • Generalizations – learning spelling patterns that exist and can be applied to many words “I can spell train because I know how to spell rain and trap.”

4. Which is the better way to teach spelling? • Children should receive direct instruction in word study on generalizations in spelling. • However, rote memorization is sometimes needed to learn how to spell high frequency words like little, brother, were and what, that follow no specific spelling generalizations.

5. Stages of Spelling Development • Stage 1 – Emergent Spellers • Stage 2 – Letter Name-Alphabetic Spellers • Stage 3 – Within Word Pattern Spellers • Stage 4 – Syllables and Affixes Spellers • Stage 5 – Derivational Relations Spellers Bear, D. R. et. al. (2004) Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary and Spelling Instruction. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

6. Emergent Spellers • Develop concepts of print • Early - pre-phonetic random markings • Middle - letters not related to sound • Late - some letters related to sound Examples: Dog Early Happy Rabbit Middle Like Late

7. Letter Name-Alphabetic Spelling • Students begin to spell using the sound of the letter names: Example: ynt for went • Early - students use mainly consonants • Middle - they begin using long vowels because the letters say their name and are using but confusing short vowels • Late - students begin recognizing blends and digraphs Examples: bd = bed mak = make nat = net brak = break Early Middle Late

8. Within Word Pattern Spellers • Early – spellers begin to use r-controlled vowels • Middle – begin to pick up some long vowel patterns • Late – begin learning some homophones and develop more knowledge of less frequently occurring long vowel patterns Examples: spase = space clowd = cloud vacashun = vacation Early Middle Late

9. Syllables and Affixes Spellers • Early – most inflections are mastered: -ed, -ing, -s • Middle – students begin doubling consonants and double and e-drop • Late – long vowel patterns in accented syllables Examples: hoping = hopping soccir = soccer invutasion = invitation Early Middle Late

10. Derivational Relations Spellers • Students begin to examine common bases and roots in words. Latin and Greek derivations become more familiar. Examples: knowledgable = knowledgeable imature = immature sycology = psychology buffay = buffet

11. Where to Begin........ • Spelling inventories! • These are used to see what spelling stage students are currently at based on their zone of proximal development. Too Difficult!! What I use but confuse ZPD What I Know

12. Spelling Inventory • Teachers can choose from several inventories or can create their own. • Inventories progress throughout the spelling levels. • Primary, Elementary and Intermediate inventories are available in Words Their Way by Bear et al. • We will examine some individual student inventories to see how they can be used for assessing children’s spelling and planning word study instruction.

13. Angela’s Spellings fan pet dec dig robe rob hobe hope wet wait gom gum sled sek stick shin shine drem dream bled blade kach coach fite fright chooing chewing crol crawl weshs wishes thrn thorn shatde shouted sbl spoil Angela’s Spelling

14. Angela – Middle Letter Name Alphabetic

15. Jessica’s Spellings fan pet dig rob hope wat wait gom gum sled stek stick shin shine drem dream blad blade cowch coach frit fright chowing chewing crall crawl weshisis wishes thorn sowted shouted spoweyual spoil Jessica’s Spelling

16. Jessica – Middle Within Word Pattern

17. Christine’s Spellings fan pet big rob hope waite wait gum sled stick shine dream blade coach frite fright chowing chewing cral crawl wishis wishes thorn shouted spoyl spoil Christine’s Spelling

18. Christine – Late Within Word Pattern Speller

19. Class Composite

20. Word Study Groups

21. More Information • This is just a brief overview of word study. • Resources for more information by Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton and Johnston: • Words Their Way • Words Their Way: Letter and Picture Sorts for Emergent Spellers • Words Their Way: Word Sorts for Letter Name Alphabetic Spellers • Words Their Way: Word Sorts for Within Word Pattern Spellers • Words Their Way: Word Sorts for Syllables and Affixes Spellers • Words Their Way: Word Sorts for Derivational Relations Spellers