Word Study for Phonics,
Spelling and Vocabulary
Instruction
From Words Their Way, Third Ed.
Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, Johnston
Why is word study important?
I have a spelling checker
It came with my PC
It plainly marks for my revue
Mistakes I cannot sea
I've run this poem threw it
I'm sure your please to no,
It's letter perfect in it's weigh
My checker tolled me sew.
-Anonymous
Word Study…
• Is based on research about the importance
of developmental spelling and a knowledge
of how “words work”
• Reveals consistencies within the language
system (spelling and meaning)
• Assists students with word recognition,
spelling and meaning
• Is hands-on!
Traditional
Word Study
• Explicit skill
instruction
• Explicit skill
instruction
Traditional
Word Study
• Systematic scope and • Systematic scope and
sequence
sequence
Traditional
• Grade level
determines focus
Word Study
• Feature analysis
determines focus
Feature Guide
Levels of Word Learning
• Independent Level
(What students do correctly)
• Instructional Level
(What students use, but confuse!)
• Frustration Level
(What is absent in students’ spelling)
Traditional
Word Study
• Repeated practice
• Authentic repeated
practice
Traditional
Word Study
• Rote drill and
memorization
• Hands-on learning
Traditional
• Little transference of
critical thinking
Word Study
• Higher level of
transference due to
critical analysis of
words
Traditional
Word Study
• Mastery determined
by performance on
“Friday’s test”
• Mastery determined
by accurate use of
word patterns in
authentic reading and
writing
Why Word Study?
Research has shown that children do not
transfer performance on “traditional
spelling test” to everyday writing.
(Invernizzi, 2004)
So…what is it?
The Basis for Word Study
• Word study is developmental
• Word study follows the continuum of word
knowledge.
• Most students follow the same continuum,
but possibly at different rates.
Orthographic Development
Alphabet
Pattern
Meaning
Emergent
Emergent Stage
Pre-K to mid First Grades
Letter Name-Alphabetic
Beginning Stage
K to mid Second Grades
Within Word Pattern
Transitional Stage
First to mid Fourth Grades
Syllables and Affixes
Intermediate Stage
Third to Eighth Grades
Derivational Relations
Advanced Stage
Fifth to Twelfth Grades
Stages of Spelling
Development
•
•
•
•
•
Emergent
Letter-Name Alphabetic
Within Word Pattern
Syllables and Affixes
Derivational Relations
Emergent Stage
• Emergent to early readers
• Random marks to actual letters that have no
sound relationship
• Pre-phonetic Spellers: Lack of correspondence to
sound when writing
• MST for bed, TFP for ship, E for bed
• Many kindergarteners are emergent spellers at
the beginning of the year. (0-5 years old)
Letter Name-Alphabetic
Stage
• Early readers and writers
• Bd for bed  bad for bed
• Ft for float  flot for float
• Kindergarten and first-grade years
Within Word Pattern
Stage
• Fluent readers
• Control letter-sound correspondence and short
vowels
• Flowt for float  flote for float
• Bodol for bottle  botel for bottle
• Late first grade through second
and third grade
Syllables and Affixes
Stage
• Upper elementary and middle school years
(9-14 years old)
• Correctly spell most one-syllable shortand long-vowel words
• Examine multi-syllabic words
• Bottel for bottle  plesher for pleasure
Derivational Relations
Stage
• Last stage in the developmental model.
• Begin by fifth grade and move throughout
adulthood
• Builds a wide vocabulary
• Common derivations and related roots and bases
• Confedent for confident  oposision for opposition
Bringing Reading, Writing and
Spelling Together
Reading and Writing Stages:
Emergent
Beginning
Letter NameAlphabetic
Transitional
Within Word
Pattern
Intermediate
Syllables And
Affixes
Advanced
Derivational
Relations
Pretend read
Read aloud,
word-by-word
fingerpoint
reading
Approaching
fluency, some
expression in
oral reading
Reads fluently with expression.
Develops a variety of reading
styles. Vocabulary grows with
experience, reading, and writing.
Pretend write
Word-by-word
writing, may
write a few
words or lines
Approaching
fluency, more
organization,
several
paragraphs
Writes fluently with expression
and voice. Experiences different
writing styles and genres. Writing
shows personal problem solving
and reflection.
Instructional Practices
Word Sort Lesson Plan
• Demonstrate: Introduce sort, use key
words or pictures
• Sort and Check: Sort individually or with
a partner. Check
• Reflect: Declare, compare, and contrast
• Extend: Introduce activities to complete
at seat, center, or home
Why Do We Sort Words?
• Categorizing is how humans make sense of
the world
• Sorting helps students organize what they
know about words and form generalizations
that they can apply to new words
Why Do We Sort Words?
• “Best of Both Worlds”
– Teacher-Directed Instruction - Teacher “stacks
the deck” by choosing the sound, pattern, or
meanings to be contrasted
– Constructivist Learning - Students make their
own discoveries and form their own
generalizations
Why Do We Sort Words?
• Generalizations can be applied to new words,
therefore students learn for application
rather than memorization
• Hands-on! (Students are actively engaged)
Types of Sorts
Sound
Sorts
Types of Sorts
Sound
Sorts
Pattern
Sorts
Types of Sorts
Sound
Sorts
Meaning
Sorts
Pattern
Sorts
Variations of Sorts
• Blind Sorts
• Brainstorming
• Guess My Category
• Buddy Sorts
• Writing Sorts
• Word Hunts
• Speed Sorts
• Draw and Label
Wander and
Investigate…
Any questions?!?
What about HOMEWORK?
“Looking at a child’s spelling gives us a
window into that child’s word
knowledge…Spend some time sitting
beside your students and looking
through the window that their
spellings provide.”
Bear, Donald R. et al. Words Their Way. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson Learning (2008)