The Four-Blocks
Literacy Model
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Working With Words
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Guided Reading
Self-Selected Reading
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Writing
Expected Outcomes:
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Participants will:
Study and describe the major components of
Working with Words
Develop and implement lesson plan activities
based on the Working with Words Block
Create and make hands on instructional
supports for classroom use.
Let’s Look at the Research…
by Karen Erickson and
David Koppenhaver
by Patricia Cunningham,
Dorothy Hall and
Cheryl Sigmon
Research Jigsaw
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The Teachers Guide to the Four Blocks
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Group 1: Word Walls, Pgs 122-124
Group 2: Word Wall Variations, Pgs 130-135
Group 3: Phonics & Spelling, Pgs 136-137
Decoding and Spelling, Pg 159
Making it Multi-Level, Pgs 161, 164
Group 4: Making Words, Pgs 142-147
Children with Disabilities
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Group 5: Purposes and Priorities, Pgs 110-112
Show what You Know!
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Word Walls
Word Wall Variations
Phonics and Spelling
Making Words
Decoding and Spelling Variations
Making It Multi-Level
Purposes and Priorities for SWD
Word Wall Words
Creating the Wall
Form Basics
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Letters need to be approx. 2 inches high
Dark, thick marker on light sentence strip on dark (high
contrast) background
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Given a choice, manuscript, not D’Nealian
Upper and lower case from beginning
Different color background for each word in each
category (t-words, b-words)
Cut out block shape around letters, leaving approx. ¼
in. border
Visually similar words (am/am) on different background
Homophones (too/to/two) on different backgrounds
Alphabetic by first letter only
Word Wall Words
Choosing Words
Word Wall Foundations…
Choosing Words
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Used to teach words that you don’t want
student to have to work to decode or spell
Exposure vs. learning
Needs/wants/use vs. curriculum-driven
direct instruction
Distributed vs. massed practice
Permanent vs. temporary accountability
Word Wall Content Basics
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Unimportant words need not apply
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High frequency words
Generative patterns (‘transfer words’)
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High Utility
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At, can, like, old
Student names, teachers, school name, tv favorites
Spelling demons
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Words kids regularly misspell in writing
Common Rimes
(Wylie & Durrell, 1970)
ack
ap
est
ing
ot
ail
ash
ice
ink
uck
ain
at
ick
ip
ug
ake
ate
ide
it
ump
ale
aw
ight
ock
unk
ame
ay
ill
oke
ank
an
eat
in
op
ell
ine
ore
Carolina Literacy Group’s
Onset Studies
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Onsets in Three Levels of Ease of
Learning
Easiest: h, n, d, fl, m, j, r, h, t
 More Difficult: sh, dr, cr, f, bl, pl, tr, cl, pr
 Most Difficult: sp, sn, str, sc, th, ch, br, ch, k
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Carolina Literacy Group’s
Rime Studies
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Rimes in Three Levels of Ease of
Learning:
Easiest: it, ay, in, ap, ill, an, ack, ip, ing,
at, ore, ug, ell
 More difficult: aw, ide, ake, ock, unk,
ick, oke, ank, ice, ash, ump, ink
 Most difficult: ine, ain, ate, ail, est, ale,
ight, ot, uck, eat, op, ame
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Word Wall Words
Routine for Adding Words
Word Wall Use Basics
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5 words a week
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Cumulative list
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Issue is deep, thorough knowledge; not content
coverage or exposure
On the wall until every kid consistently spells word
correctly without looking.
Introduce homophones in separate weeks, not
all at one.
Daily 10-minute activities
Introducing Words
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Put word cards on display separate from word
wall
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Pronounce first word to class as they look at it
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Temporary wall location, chalkboard tray, pocket
chart…
Discuss meaning or use
Clap and cheer/chant 3 times
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A-N-D…AND!!
(older kids) make cheers…see reference on WIKI
Introducing Words…
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Each child writes word
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cont.
Incorporate handwriting by modeling correct
letter formation on overhead or board
Repeat with remaining words
Draw around shapes of words in block
Last words introduced in mid-to late April
Word Wall Words
Routine for Practicing
Word Wall Words
Let’s Give it a Try!
On the Back:
Cross Checking
Cunningham, 128
Word Wall Words
Let’s Give it a Try
On the Back:
Be A Mind
Reader
Cunningham, 129
Working with Words Center
What are students doing?
• word sorts
• using magnetic letters
• reading ABC books
• making words
• playing word games
What mini-lessons do I need to teach to get it started?
• how to do a word sort
• how to use an ABC chart
• how to use materials at the center (letter stamps, word cards)
• how to use a dry erase board
• what to do when you are done with one activity
Daily Activities
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Cunningham 125-130, 138-162
Erickson 116-124
Handout
Websites for Working with Words
http://classroom.jc-schools.net/read/words.html
PowerPoint Word Wall Vocabulary Presentations **
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/1138.html
Word Wall Activities List
http://www.wordplays.com/fcgi-bin/jumble.pl
for teachers: type in secret/big word to get list of little words…
goes along well with making big words
http://fdlrssprings.org/literacy_resources.html
FDLRS Springs website for literacy activities
Http://region2library.org
FDLRS Region 2 website for links to helpful compilations of literacy resources
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/words/dg3.shtml
Rhyming games
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/wordfamily/
Interactive; kids sort words by rime
http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/wordbuild/
Interactive; add onset to make real words
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Games/mag/abc.html
Interactive making words using click/drag magnetic board
Thanks … Resources…
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To Dr. Karen Erickson and her work with our
kids and teachers
To FDLRS Springs…for helping us get this
initiative started in our region.
Visit our WIKI Space to see other resources…
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http://fourblock.wikispaces.com/Working+with+
Words
Now…..
for the rest of the story
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Lo Tech Accommodations
Software Demonstration
Implementation Assignment
Make and Take Activities
Session Evaluation