Word Study Instruction
K-3
VIRGINIA SCHOOL-UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP
OCTOBER 15, 2013
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
Today’s Agenda
 Word Study Overview
 Developmental Spelling Assessment
 Planning for Instruction
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Sorting
Connecting Word Study to Text
Connecting Word Study to Writing
Review Games for Extended Practice
Automaticity Activities
 Putting It All Together
What is Word Study?
PHONICS + SPELLING + VOCABULAR INSTRUCTION =
WORD STUDY
Teaches students how to categorize the sounds,
patterns, and meanings in words to build knowledge of
the English language.
(Taken from Words Their Way, Bear et al, 2012)
Stages of Spelling Development
 EMERGENT
 LETTER-NAME
 WITHIN-WORD PATTERN
 SYLLABLES & AFFIXES
 DERIVATIONAL RELATIONS
EMERGENT SPELLERS
bed
house
• Instruction includes: phonological
•
T
•
mitten
•
D
•
duck
awareness & alphabet knowledge
(letter names, letter sounds & letter
production)
Lack concept of word
Early emergent: scribble
Middle emergent: use letter-like
forms
Late emergent: use of letters, some
letter-sound correspondences
LETTER-NAME SPELLERS
LP
lump
BAD
bed
FLOT
float
STEK
stick
 Map names of letters to sounds
 Predicted stage of reading
development: beginning
reader
 Instruction includes: word
families, short vowels,
blends/digraphs,
preconsonantal nasals
 Developing phonemic
awareness and a sight
vocabulary
WITHIN-WORD PATTERN SPELLERS
TRANE
train
FRITE
fright
MARCHT
marched
SPOYLE
spoil
 Predicted stage of reading
development: transitional
reader
 Attend to the pattern features
of spelling in single syllable
words
 Instruction includes: common
long vowel patterns, rinfluenced vowels, complex
consonants
SYLLABLES & AFFIXES SPELLERS
BOTEL
bottle
SHOPING
shopping
DAMIGE
damage
PERTEND
pretend
 Predicted stage of reading
development: transitional/
intermediate readers
 Attend to spelling changes
within and across syllables
 Instruction includes: inflected
endings, e-drop/doubling/
nothing, syllable stress, simple
prefixes & suffixes
DERIVATIONAL RELATIONS SPELLERS
CONFUDENSE
confidence
OPISISION
opposition
EMFASIZE
emphasize
COMOTION
commotion
 Predicted stage of reading
development: intermediate advanced readers
 Attend to meaning-based
changes in spelling
 Instruction includes: affixes,
assimilated or absorbed
prefixes, Greek/Latin roots
Guidelines for Word Study
 Assess students’ spelling
 Group by assessment results
 Plan differentiated instruction for groups
 Teach through sorts, activities and games
 Use ongoing assessments & re-group as
needed
 Provide independent practice
 Apply taught features in meaningful reading
and writing!
DEVELOPMENTAL SPELLING ASSESSMENT
 Administer a spelling inventory
 Analyze spelling using a feature guide to determine:
 Known
features (independent)
 Used but confused features (instructional)
 Absent features (frustration)
 Determine stage of spelling development
Planning for Instruction
Known Features
(independent)
-Features students use
correctly
-Easy level for students
Used but Confused
(instructional)
-Features students use
but confuse
-instruction is most
helpful
Absent Features
(frustration)
-Features that are
absent
-Spelling concepts are
too difficult
-Do NOT teach here!
Target features for instruction!
Pacing Word Study Instruction
Factors to Consider:
• Which features should I
•
•
•
•
introduce?
How many features should I
introduce?
• 2 features?
• 3 features?
• 4 features?
Am I moving too quickly?
Am I moving too slowly?
Do I need to cover every
feature in every stage?
Informal Assessments
Informal Assessments to help
guide your pacing decisions:
 Weekly Spell Checks
 Running Records
 Writing Samples
Sorting
Types of Sorts
 Picture/Word Sorts
 Buddy Sorts
 Writing Sorts
 Blind Sorts
 Speed Sorts
Picture / Word Sorts
Categorizing pictures, words or a combination
by their sound, pattern, or meaning feature.
Picture Sort
Picture/Word Sort
Word Sort
Buddy Sorts
Working collaboratively, students sort the picture and/
or word cards, “check” each column in the sort and
then discuss the generalizations covered by the sort.
Writing Sorts
Like a picture and/or word sort, except students
categorize and write the words into columns
according to phonics features.
Glue and Label
Step 1: Sort pictures & glue
Step 2: Label pictures.
*be sure to hold students accountable
for what they have learned.
Speed Sorts
Students time themselves completing a sort in order to
support automatic recognition of the words and features.
Blind Sorts
The student hears the words read by someone else and
categorizes them without seeing the spelling. Blind sorts
encourage students to focus on sorting by “sounds.”
Sorting Checklist
Before the Sort
During the Sort
After the Sort



I introduce the features.
I model 1-2 examples.
I encourage students to say the name of the picture/read
the word aloud.




I remind students to say the name of each picture/word.
I quickly tell students the names of unknown pictures.
I discard unknown words.
I allow students to correct their own mistakes.





The students read the examples under each header.
After each column, I ask, “Does that sound/look right?”
Correct mistakes if needed.
I discuss the spelling features: “What’s the same about
these words?” (e.g., how it’s spelled, how it looks, etc.)
The children write some of the words in their notebooks.
Sample sort: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgID2Acjeqs
Sorting Games
Treasure Sorting Game
Popcorn Sorting Game
Additional Activities with Sorting Cards
 Concentration
 Match two words with the same feature (i.e., rain-wait)
 Roll-the-Word
 Roll the dice. Flip over a word with the feature rolled.
 Spin-the-Word
 Spin the spinner. Flip over a word with the feature on the
spinner.
Concentration
Match 2 cards with the same feature (i.e., tug-hug)
Roll-the-Feature
•Roll the dice.
•Flip over a word with the feature rolled.
Connecting Word Study to Reading
Types of Texts:
 Familiar Texts
 Decodable Texts
 Word Study Poems
 Text Copies
Good Night, Little Bug
By Cynthia Rothman
“Just one more run,” said the bug.
“Just one more run,” said her
mother.
“Just one more hug,” said the bug.
“Just one more hug,” said her
mother.
“Just a little more fun,” said the
bug.
“No,” said her mother.
And the little bug went to sleep,
snug as a bug in a rug
.
Sample Decodable Texts
“OOK the BOOK” and…
Og the Frog
Your turn….
Choose a word study
feature.
2. List words containing
the chosen feature.
3. Write a poem, following
the “OOK THE BOOK”
format.
1.
I am Og, Og the Frog
I like to jog in the fog.
I can hop on a log
With my friend Hog.
I am Og, Og the Frog.
Letter Hunts & Word Hunts
Word Hunts
 Highlighters
 Highlighter Tape
 Word Finders
 Wikki Stix
 Clear Counters
Word Hunts
Decodable Sentence Concentration
UT, UG, UN Decodable
Sentence Concentration
AY, AI, A-E Decodable
Sentence Concentration
Connecting Word Study to Text:
Additional Activities
Roll-A-Word
or
Spin-A-Word
Organizing Decodable Texts
Store books according to phonics features. For example, have
one book tub for initial sound books, one tub for short vowel
books, one tub for long vowel books, etc.
Connecting Word Study to Writing
Writing Sorts
Word Study Notebook
Wipe-off board
Connecting Word Study to Writing
Dictated Sentences
Teacher dictates a sentence
containing word study words.
Follow-Up: Students highlight
features in words.
Sample Dictated Sentences
Letter Name: UT, UN, UG
 Bug can run to the hut.
Within Word Pattern: AY, A-E, AI
 Snail had a date to play in the rain.
Syllables and Affixes: VCV vs. VCCV
 Tiger gave kitten a lesson on how to open the paper letter with a
big ruler.
Blending & Segmenting
 Students develop decoding skills through
segmenting and blending phonemes
 Working at the phoneme level provides students
with a foundation in the alphabetic principle
 Important component of word study for letter
name stage (i.e., beginning readers)
Blending and Segmenting Activities
 Phoneme Mats
 Flipbooks
 Magic Dice
 Slides
 Magnetic Letters/Letter Tiles
Blending & Segmenting :Phoneme Mats
Sticky Notes
Swap-A-Letter
Blending & Segmenting
Magnetic Letter Tiles
Blending & Segmenting: Magic Dice
Onset-Rimes
Individual Phonemes
Blending & Segmenting
Flipbooks
Slides
Review Games for Extended Practice
 Goal : To develop
automaticity with
reading and spelling
words.
 Follow the Path Games


Robot Factory
The Great Gumball Escape
 Tic-Tac-Toe Boards
 Splat!*
 Providing students with
extended practice
helps students develop
mastery of features.
 Swat the Word*
 Oh, No! Cards*
 Slapjack*
 Roll-It, Flip-It*
*activities that build automaticity
Follow the Path Games
Types of Playing Cards:
• Word Study feature cards
• High-Frequency word cards
Game Variations:
•
•
•
•
Read the Words
Write the Words
Put Them Back
Race the Timer
Tic-Tac-Toe Gameboards
 Sticky Notes
 Writing Tic-Tac-Toe
 Blending & Segmenting
Activities to Build Automaticity
 Splat!
 Swat the Word
 Oh, No! Cards
 Slapjack
 Roll-It, Flip-It
Playing Cards include:
 Weekly Word Sorts
 High Frequency Words
 Letter Cards (emergent)
Developing Automaticity
Oh, No! Cards
•Students take turns drawing a card and reading it.
•If a student reads the word automatically, h/she keeps it.
•If a student draws an OH, NO! card h/she must return all
his/her accumulated cards to the table.
Developing Automaticity
Variations of Oh, no! cards
crash!
DUMP ‘EM
Word Study Homework
 Provides additional extended practice of weekly
features
 Establish weekly homework routines
 Send home weekly sorting cards
 Provide clear examples of each word study
activity for parents
Putting It All Together
 Literacy Work Stations
 Sample Lesson Plans
 Questions