Structured Word Inquiry: Teaching Spelling Patterns

1. Teaching how spelling works, and teaching how to learn how spelling works. “Structured Word Inquiry” The Inquiry Cycle in Spelling Kylie Horsfall, September 2010

2. Structure of the word: prefixes, bases, suffixes (and joins) do, does, doing, done go, goes, going, gone Consistent spelling to show meaning,regardless of inconsistent pronunciation. How does spelling work? Word origins/ meanings and related words: two, twice, twins, twenty etc. Today’s focus: Phonemic awareness Graphemic awareness

3. Teaching how to LEARN about spelling! Step 1: Pose an interesting problem (can be from children’s errors). Step 2: Select or brainstorm words that reveal the pattern. Steps of Structured Word Inquiry Steps 3 & 4: Guide students’ hypothesis formation and testing Step 5: Use guided practice to help students internalise patterns. Step 6: Relate to the “Bigger Picture”

4. Tuning In • Step 1: • Pose an interesting problem

5. Today’s focus, from “SoundWaves Unit 3”: The initial /k/ Sound When do we use a <c> ? When do we use a <k> ? Step 1: Pose an interesting problem <c> ____ /k/___ <k> ___ Initial Position

6. Finding Out/ Sorting Out Step 2: Select or brainstorm words that reveal the pattern.

7. Step 2: Select or brainstorm words that reveal the pattern. c ______ “Here are some I made earlier” /k/________ Initial Position • cat • cow • crazy • constant • Christmas • clothes • character • closing • clean • caught • called • catch • camp • cram • climate • climb • coat • cave • kitten • king • kite • kind • kitchen • kick • kid • kill • kilt • kin • kink • kiss • kennel • kernel • keep • kept • keen • kelp • kerfuffle • kettle • key k ______ kangaroo koala ?? (check word origins)

8. Finding Out/ Sorting Out Step 3: Guide students’ hypothesis formation

9. Step 3: Guide students’ hypothesis formation. c ______ What do you notice about these two groups? Do you see any patterns? • cat • cow • crazy • constant • Christmas • clothes • character • closing • clean • caught • called • catch • camp • cram • climate • climb • coat • cave • kitten • king • kite • kind • kitchen • kick • kid • kill • kilt • kin • kink • kiss k ______ • kennel • kernel • keep • kept • keen • keg • kelp • kerfuffle • ketch • kettle • key kangaroo koala ?? (check word origins)

10. Step 3: Guide students’ hypothesis formation. c ______ Going Further/ Drawing Conclusions Hint: Look at the 2nd letter! • cat • cow • crazy • constant • Christmas • clothes • character • closing • clean • caught • called • catch • camp • cram • climate • climb • coat • cave • kitten • king • kite • kind • kitchen • kick • kid • kill • kilt • kin • kink • kiss k ______ • kennel • kernel • keep • kept • keen • keg • kelp • kerfuffle • ketch • kettle • key kangaroo koala ?? (check word origins)

11. You use a <k> if it is followed by an <e> or an <i>.

12. Finding Out/ Sorting Out Step 4: Guide testing of hypothesis

13. Step 4: Guide testing of hypothesis. c ______ Do any of these have an <i> or an <e> straight after the <c>? What about these words? Why don’t they follow the pattern. There must be a reason! Check • cat • cow • crazy • constant • Creek • clothes • character • closing • clean • caught • called • catch • camp • cram • climate • climb • coat • cave kangaroo koala karate (check word origins) From GuuguYimidhirrgangurru, recorded by James Cook and others in 1770 at Endeavour River; Queensland, Australia From Sydney , Australia (Aboriginal language) gula or gulawany. Surely you know this one? Only English words have to follow English conventions! http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/

14. In English words: You always use a <c> unless you have to use a <k>. (because it is followed by an <e> or an <i>).

15. Step 5: Use guided practice to help students internalise patterns. Reflecting and Acting

16. Step 5: Use guided practise to help students internalise patterns. Reflecting and Acting Insert a <c> or a <k> in the front of these words. Justify your choice! <c> ____ • _eel • _ross • _ream • _indred • _rack • _rown • _iln • _inky • _aring • _ipper • _it • _arry • _eyboard • _auldron • _arnivore • _ome • _asual • _astle • _idney • _inaesthetic • _ilometre • _lick • _oast • _lumsy /k/___ _<e> _<i> <k> ___ Initial Position

17. Step 5: Use guided practise to help students internalise patterns. Insert a <c> or a <k> in the front of these words. Justify your choice! <c> ____ • keel • cross • cream • kindred • crack • crown • kiln • kinky • caring • kipper • kit • carry • keyboard • cauldron • carnivore • come • casual • castle • kidney • kinaesthetic • kilometre • click • coast • clumsy /k/___ _<e> _<i> <k> ___ Initial Position

18. Step 6: Relate to the “bigger picture” Reflecting and Acting

19. Why can’t I use a <c>? Yes, tell me now! (click) Skip to the final /k/ sound (click here) Skip to x, q, and ch (very quick explanation: click here) No, thanks. We’re out of time. (click)

20. Step 1: Pose an interesting problem Reflecting and Acting Tuning in (again)

21. Why can’t I use a <c>? What happens if you use a <c> followed by an <e> or an <i>?

22. Finding Out/ Sorting Out Step 2: Select or brainstorm words that reveal the pattern.

23. What happens when you write a <c> followed by an <e>, an <i>, or a <y>? • city • cigar • cinema • circumstance • circle • citizen • civil • cite • cell • cereal • cement • cent • cease • centre • certificate “Here are some I made earlier” What do you notice about all of these <ce__> or <ci__> words? Tuning In /Finding Out

24. Finding Out/ Sorting Out Step 3: Guide students’ hypothesis formation

25. How are the <c>s pronounced? • cell • cereal • cement • cent • cease • centre • certificate • city • cigar • cinema • circumstance • circle • citizen • civil • cite The <c>s followed by <e> or <i> are always pronounced /s/.

26. Finding Out/ Sorting Out Step 4: Guide testing of hypothesis

27. Are there any words which have a<c> pronounced as /s/, that don’t have an <e> or an <i> as the next letter? “Here are some I made earlier” • cyst • cylinder • cycle • cynical • cyan A <c> followed by an <e> , <i> or <y> is pronounced /s/. Going further

28. Step 5: Use guided practice to help students internalise patterns. Reflecting and Acting

29. Put the listed <c> words into the Venn Diagram. Is the <c> pronounced with a /s/ or a /k/ sound? Justify your choice and prove you are right! • cat • cow • cross • cream • clam • come • close • car • coat • count • cut • cup • cuddle • crunch • costume • country • cell • cereal • cement • cent • cease • centre • city • cigar • cinema • citizen • civil • cite c → /s/ c → /k/ • circumstance • circle • certificate • cycle • cynical • cystitis • cylinder

30. c → /s/ c → /k/ • cat • cow • cross • cream • clam • come • close • car • coat • count • cut • cup • cuddle • crunch • costume • country • city • cigar • cinema • citizen • civil • cite • cell • cereal • cement • cent • cease • centre • circumstance • circle • certificate • cycle • cynical Second <c> = /k/ The <c> is pronounced /s/ if followed by <e>, <i>, or <y>. • cyst • cylinder

31. Step 6: Relate to the “bigger picture” Reflecting and Acting

32. So, you always use a <c> unless you have to use a <k> (because it is followed by <e>, <i> or <y>.) (If one of those letters was next, the <c> would be pronounced /s/, not /k/). But…what about at the end of a word? What do we use to show a /k/ sound there? Reflecting and Acting

33. What do we use for the /k/ sound at the end of a word (or element)? Show me now (click here) Skip to x, q, and ch (very quick explanation: click here) No, thanks. We’re out of time. (click here)

34. Today’s focus, from “SoundWaves Unit 3”: The final /k/ Sound _____<?> ____/k/ Final Position Step 1: Pose an interesting problem What do we use for the/k/ sound at the end of a word (or element)?

35. Finding Out/ Sorting Out Step 2: Select or brainstorm words that reveal the pattern.

36. Sort the words to make it easier to see the patterns. _____k • soak • look • squeak • week • freak • took • lurk • ask • tank • bark • walk • bank • luck • pack • knock • frock • stick • peck • snack • wreck • trick • lock • duck • traffic • magic • terrific • logic • tonic “Here are some I made earlier” ____ck ____c _____<c> ____/k/ _____<k> Final Position ____<ck>

37. Finding Out/ Sorting Out Step 3: Guide students’ hypothesis formation

38. Look at the letters just before the /k/! _____k ____ck ____c • soak • look • squeak • week • freak • took • lurk • ask • tank • bark • walk • bank • luck • pack • knock • frock • stick • peck • snack • wreck • trick • lock • duck • traffic • magic • terrific • logic • tonic

39. Only“ic” Only one vowel letter _____k • soak • look • squeak • week • freak • took • lurk • ask • tank • bark • walk • bank • luck • pack • knock • frock • stick • peck • snack • wreck • trick • lock • duck • traffic • magic • terrific • logic • tonic ____ck ____c

40. So, if I am writing a base word, then… I use a <ck> if there is a single vowel letter before it. Only <ic> _____<c> ____/k/ _____<k> Only when there is a single vowel here. Final Position ____<ck>

41. Finding Out/ Sorting Out Step 4: Guide testing of hypothesis

42. In a BASE, there must be another letter here. If there isn’t one, insert a <c> _____k One vowel letter k Test more words that end in <k>. • Do any of them have one single vowel before the <k>? • Do they have a consonant, or 2 vowels there? Test more words that end in <ck>. • Do they all have just one single vowel before the <ck>? Base ____ck

43. Step 5: Use guided practice to help students internalise patterns. Reflecting and Acting

44. There must be another letter here. If there isn’t one, insert a <c> Insert <k>, or <ck> to complete these words. Justify your choice and prove that you are right. One vowel letter k Base • che__ • chee__ • ba__ • sna__ • li__ • so__ • boo_ • par_ • stin_ • hon_ • bul_ • for_ • sin_ • lea_ • du_ • dun_ • ran_ • ra_ • wee_ • stea_

45. There must be another letter here. If there isn’t one, insert a <c> If the word has only one vowel before the /k/, use <ck> Otherwise, just use a <k> One vowel letter k Base • check • cheek • back • snack • lick • sock • book • park • stink • honk • bulk • fork • sink • leak • duck • dunk • rank • rack • week • steak

46. If the word has only one vowel before the /k/ sound, use <ck>. Otherwise, just use a <k>.

47. Step 6: Relate to the “bigger picture” Reflecting and Acting

48. Can we apply this same pattern to other letters at the end of words?

49. Step 1: Pose an interesting problem Why do some words have a <tch> at the end, and some have only <ch>? <tch> <ch> Step 2: Select or brainstorm words that reveal the pattern. • watch • catch • twitch • botch • notch • etch • snatch • each • beach • lunch • conch • reach • inch • pooch

50. Steps 3 &4: Guide students’ hypothesis formation and testing _______ /t∫/ Yes! <tch> <ch> There must be another letter here. If there isn’t one, insert a <t> • watch • catch • twitch • botch • notch • etch • snatch • each • beach • lunch • conch • reach • inch • pooch One vowel letter ch Base