About the Word Sort Cards: This is an organized collection of word sorts

1. About the Word Sort Cards: This is an organized collection of word sorts to help students learn spelling. The word sorts are organized in increasing levels of complexity, and you may match them to students in accordance with their demonstrated spelling needs. You may determine spelling needs by a pretest or by the actual writing of the students (recommended). You may decide to do whole-class, teacher-led word sorts to start out, modeling how to use the guide words on top of each sort. Each Word Sort has a heading. The heading names the spelling concepts, and then gives two or three guide words. The guide words indicate the words that represent the pattern of that Word Sort. Students should write their Word Sorts into columns. They should use paper, whiteboards, or a computer. Tactile experience (writing or typing) reinforces spelling, so if students work together, each student should write or type. Adapted from: The Science of Spelling: The Explicit Specifics That Make Great Readers and Writers (and Spellers!). J. Richard Gentry. Heinimann. 2004.

2. Guide to the Spelling Concepts in the Word Sort Collection: Appropriate for Grade 1: Word Sort 1: get-big-but: short vowel 2. Word Sort 2: cat-make: short vowel-e marker 3. Word Sort 3: me-get: short vowel vs. open syllable 4. Word Sort 4: cat-bake-day: mixed vowel patterns 5. Word Sort 5: top-made: Short vs long vowels Appropriate for Grade 2: 6. Word Sort 6: fed-bee-read: Short vs. long vowels 7. Word Sort 7: side-nail: CVCe vs. CVVC 8. Word Sort 8: all-tell-will-boss: Final consonants ll, ss 9. Word Sort 9: able-flame-bay-main: Long vowels 10. Word Sort 10: be (homophone); into (compound) Appropriate for Grade 3: 11. Word Sort 11: lived-stopping-reading: Endings -ed, -ing 12. Word Sort 12: chair-pair-care: Controlled vowels 13. Word Sort 13: yourself- I’d : Compound words and contractions 14. Word Sort 14: footprint—aren’t: Compound words and contractions 15. Word Sort 15: sup/per- su-per: VC/CV vs. V/CV Adapted from: The Science of Spelling: The Explicit Specifics That Make Great Readers and Writers (and Spellers!). J. Richard Gentry. Heinimann. 2004.

3. Guide to the Spelling Concepts in the Word Sort Collection: Appropriate for Grade 4: 16. Word Sort 16: de/fine—com/plete: Syllabication 17. Word Sort 17: cotton-organ-pumpkin-wooden: Endings: -on,-an-,-in,-en 18. Word Sort 18: Exceptional Plurals 19: Word Sort 19: peace-peaceful-peacefulness Word Building Appropriate for Grade 5: 20. Word Sort 20: rage—judge: -ge, -dge 21. Word Sort 21: niece—ceiling—weigh: The I before E rule and exceptions 22. Word Sort 22: bicycle-midday-semiformal-dissect Prefixes meaning “two” 23. Word Sort: 23 submarine-superman: Prefixes meaning “over” or “under” 24. Word Sort 24: expression-affection: Suffixes that sound like “shun” Adapted from: The Science of Spelling: The Explicit Specifics That Make Great Readers and Writers (and Spellers!). J. Richard Gentry. Heinimann. 2004.

4. Guide to the Spelling Concepts in the Word Sort Collection: Appropriate for Grade 6: 25. Word Sort 25: sign-signature; divide-division: Words with Vowel and Consonant Alternation 26. Word Sort 26: breakable-flexible: -able vs. -ible 27. Word Sort 27: hesitant—insistent: -ant vs. -ent 28: Word Sort 28: fearlessness—precautionary: Words with a prefix and a suffix vs. words with a prefix or a suffix Appropriate for Grade 7: 29. Word Sort 29: usual-league: Words with 2U’s vs. Words with 1U 30. Word Sort 30: omitted-canceling: Doubling the final consonant when adding a suffix 31. Word Sort 31: accountant—appliance—assortment: Prefixes beginning with A 32. Word Sort 32: phone—chron—tract—sist: Greek and Latin Roots Adapted from: The Science of Spelling: The Explicit Specifics That Make Great Readers and Writers (and Spellers!). J. Richard Gentry. Heinimann. 2004.

5. Guide to the Spelling Concepts in the Word Sort Collection: Appropriate for Grade 8: 33. Word Sort 33: circum-per—spir—vis: Latin Prefixes and Roots 34: Word Sort 34: arch-crat-polis: Greek-based social studies words 35: Word Sort 35: contestant-colleague; correlate-illegal; irresponsible-immortal: Prefixes com- and in- Adapted from: The Science of Spelling: The Explicit Specifics That Make Great Readers and Writers (and Spellers!). J. Richard Gentry. Heinimann. 2004.

6. Word Sort 1: Short Vowel: get—big--but his run big get him bed fun pet up did but it is us

7. Word Sort 2: Short Vowel vs E-marker cat-make bat had take cat hat hate can at cane cake dud bit dude bite

8. Word Sort 3: Short Vowel vs Open Syllable me she be pet met bet we men peg wed hit hi beg hip

9. Word Sort 4: Mixed Vowel Pattern cat—bake-day mat hat bay at play man take day can bake name kit kite cake

10. Word Sort 5: Short Vs Long—Mixed Vowels top-made had ride big day he sheep top fun made keep let hope us hop

11. Word Sort 6: Short vs Long Vowel fed—bee—read fed bee see sled seed yes tree west sweet wheel need eat each read

12. Word Sort 7: CVCe vs CVVC side-nail mice pail sake tie tail nail mail trade save pie side brave tide dime snail

13. Word Sort 8 Final Consonants ll and ss all-tell-will-boss all ball tell chill will toss boss ill miss spill small pill pull yell across

14. Word Sort 9: Long A able—flame- bay—main able afraid bay gray blame fable main paint pain spray table cage wait tray tray cape

15. Word Sort 10 Compound words and homophones be--into be into birthday meat bee something sea pain sometimes meet see write right anything herself

16. Word Sort 11 Endings: -ed, -ing running closed coming sitting hopped batted stopped hopping cleaning getting rented stopped reading called patted

17. Word Sort 12 Controlled Vowels; Homophones chair-pear-care hair hare bear fair bare fare pair wear scare stare care chair stare rare share

18. Word Sort 13 Compound words; Contractions yourself; I’d basketball we’re bookcase cardboard I’d fireplace flashlight yourself grandfather doghouse I’ve upstairs didn’t haven’t can’t

19. Word Sort 14 Compound words; Contractions footprint—aren’t aren’t doesn’t footprint they’ll highway we’ll don’t isn’t sunshine something I’ll grandmother horseback wouldn’t you’ll

20. Word Sort 15 VC/CV vs. V/CV sup/per-su/per supper happen kitten liter super litter sudden dinner peeper diner rider rabbit spotted spider summer

21. Word Sort 16 Syllabication, VCe de/fine—com/plete explode entire define suppose arrive complete reduce locate compose surprise umpire refine refuse antelope female

22. Word Sort 17 Endings: -on, -an, -in, -en cotton—organ— pumpkin--wooden cousin common wooden harden linen frozen kitchen poison chicken dozen pumpkin broken margin organ cotton

23. Word Sort 18 Exceptional Plurals Sort into pairs women child tomato piano volcano woman volcanoes tomatoes radios children pianos grandmother potatoes radio potato

24. Word Sort 19 Word Building: peace, peaceful, peacefulness repay forget pay peacefulness peaceful school preschool forgetful cheerfully rest restless cheer restlessly preschooler cheerful

25. Word Sort 20 -ge, -dge rage--judge edge judge village rage stranger strange dodge fudge knowledge danger badge college bridge grudge hedge

26. Word Sort 21 The ie, ei Rule niece-ceiling-weigh achieve ceiling their mischief fierce friend reign relief receipt sleigh yield neither thief neighbor weird

27. Word Sort 22: Words with Prefixes meaning “two” bicycle-midday- semiformal-dissect midnight bicycle diverge midsummer semiannual dissect bilingual bisect semiformal bipolar semifinal diverse biannual bilateral midair

28. Word Sort 23: Words With Prefixes Meaning “Under” or “Over” submarine-superman underage overweight submerge subzero superstar overcast superpower undercover overextend submarine overhead substandard oversee overpass superman

29. Word Sort 24: Words with Suffixes that sound like “shun” expression-affection reproduction education expression procession prediction erosion operation medication permission congratulation immersion vacation explosion introduction expulsion

30. Word Sort 25: Consonand and Vowel Alternation: Sign-signature Divide-division sign confidence signature condemn composition condemnation critic criticize division divide revision confide invitation invite compose

31. Word Sort 26 -able vs. -ible: breakable-flexible breakable horrible flexible lovable navigable readable terrible applicable capable inexcusable usable peaceable possible noticeable serviceable

32. Word Sort 27 -ant vs. -ent: hesitant--insistent hesitant ignorant accountant different urgent opponent dominant consistent migrant contestant applicant distant flagrant negligent absorbent

33. Word Sort 28 Words with both a prefix and a suffix vs Words with either a prefix or a suffix: fearlessness--precautionary disagree regardless precautionary fearlessness inability thoughtfulness misunderstanding immigrants surprising inconsistently disappearance reappearance alphabetical cancelling requirement

34. Word Sort 29 Words with 2 U’s vs. Words with 1 U usual--league vacuum usual league pursuit furious annually curious curiosity surprising beautiful peculiar truly pursue visually requirement

35. Word Sort 30 Doubling the final consonant when adding a suffix omitted--canceling reference compelling omitted canceling credited preference referring budgeted preferred inference forgotten traveling inferring conference forgetful

36. Word Sort 31 Prefixes beginning with A accountant-appliance- assortment affirm afford assurance applaud assortment application attentive alliance accountant acclaim accomplishment accolade accustomed assemble assimilate

37. Word Sort 32: Greek and Latin Roots phone—chron—tract--sist distract retract abstract resistance traction consistent insistence consistency persist synchronize chronicle symphonic chronic resist chronology

38. Word Sort 33: Latin Roots and Prefixes circum—per—spir--vis circumvent circumnavigate circumstantial persuade circumcise circumspect perpetuate conspiracy persist supervision respiration peruse advise vision expiration

39. Word Sort 34: Greek-based words about social studies arch-crat-polis metropolis monarch autocrat political democracy patriarch cosmopolitan archives hierarchy bureaucracy architecture anarchy meritocracy politician aristocracy

40. Word Sort 35: Prefixes com- and in- contestant-colleague correlate-illegal irresponsiblei-mmortal contestant colleague correlation immaturity constraints illegality irresponsible illogical irrational immortal contested collegial immortality irrepressible conformity