Second Story Window

A Teacher's Guide to Words Their Way

If you've visited our blog before, you know that we are big fans of Words Their Way (shortened to WTW). This is an assessment-based, differentiated, leveled approach to spelling and word work.

Here's a little background on our experience with the WTW program:

• It's encouraged, not required in our district. Teachers can implement the program however they see fit.
• Heidi has taken some trainings but most of our know-how is from the book and trial and error.
• We use the sorts weekly but do not use the program for spelling. Visit our post about Chunk Spelling to learn more about that approach. 

Hopefully this post will give you some insight and tips if you're looking to implement WTW in your classroom. 

To begin using WTW, we recommend that you gather some supplies. 

• The Words Their Way book is a must. If you are teaching early childhood, we recommend the new Words Their Way for PreK-K book.
• You may have access to the sort books at your school. If you don't you will want the sort books as well. The sort books in order from easy to advanced are: Letter and Picture Sorts for Emergent Spellers, Letter Name- Alphabetic Spellers, Within Word Patterns Spellers, Syllables and Affixes Spellers, Derivational Relations Spellers. In 2nd grade, we usually only needed the Letter Name- Alphabetic, Within Word Patterns, and Syllables and Affixes sort books.
• Post-it notes
• 3 ring binder for holding master copies of sorts
• zipper pockets for holding sorts (1 per student)
• highlighters (a few colors, enough for a small group)
• spiral notebooks for sorting and gluing the sorts each week (1 per student)
• 6 pocket folders (similar to these)

The first step in implementing WTW is giving the class a (rather lengthy) spelling test. We use the Primary Spelling Inventory (PSI) for 2nd grade. On the Pearson website there are examples of the different tests and run down on scoring them. 

Grading the assessment can be tedious, but it's so great to see all the data. Each of the words is broken down into key components—beginning sounds, vowel sounds, suffixes, etc. You don’t analyze every part of every word, so you need the feature guide to show you what you’re looking for. You put the student’s test in front of you and start checking off what was written correctly. We made a form for the students to write their answers on. This form allows us to do a little record keeping right on their forms.

The feature guide in the book is horizontal but we found it easier to grade quickly with a vertical page so we made our own form. We use the same page all year so it is easy to track student growth. We use a different color pen each time we give the assessment and color the key at the top of the page accordingly. 

After checking each word, then you total the number of checks in each column. The different columns represent different levels of spelling mastery. Each feature is checked in 7 different words. If a student correctly writes the feature (for example, short vowel sounds) 6 or 7 times you know it has been mastered. If a child gets 5 or fewer correct, that’s considered the student’s instructional level.  This is the level the child will benefit most from practicing.

Download our vertical Primary Spelling Inventory feature guide form.

Download our vertical Elementary Spelling Inventory feature guide form.

Download our Spelling Test form here.

We have another post all about WTW assessment that goes into this information in more depth and gives an example of one student's assessment and progress. Read more about Words Their Way Assessment.

Making Groups

After testing your students, the next step is to organize them for word study. The simplest thing is to grab a piece of paper and list the levels down one side. Then look through the assessments and see who fits each category. I write the number they got correct in that categoy on top of their name. 

Here's an example:

The Within Word early group is kind of full. I can see that Diana only got 2 right but the others were much more solid on that level. So I may move Diana down to the previous level. If I have lots of kids on the Syllables and Affixes levels, I might put them all in one group and start them at the beginning of the level. Since the 1st grade at my school doesn't use WTW, the kids may be natural spellers and have no understanding of word patterns. I think it's important for my students to learn the why of spelling as much as the how.  Even though they can spell the words, it is beneficial for them to get experience with the rules so they can letter extend them to spell other words. 

Keep in mind that this isn't an exact science!  In a WTW workshop I once heard, "Do what you can!" That's the key. If you can manage 8 different groups with weekly reassessments, go for it. But if you are only ready for 2 groups with word sorts every other week, that's okay too. Make it work for you!  What is important is that you're getting at least some differentiation.

Planning

I decided I could handle 5 groups. I made a little notebook to keep track of the groups. There is a half-sheet form for each week. I cut down a post-it note for each group and added the kids' names. (Using post-it notes makes it easy to transfer the information to the new sheet each week.) Then I list the sort for each week. 

Download the editable WTW Planning Book Cover (PPT) here.

Download the blank WTW Planing Book Cover (PDF) here. 

Download the WTW Planning Book record sheet 5 group form here.

Download the WTW Planning Book record sheet 6 group form here.

*A note about the editable cover: The font I used is a free one colled Nevis. If you download the PPT, just click on the name and retype it. Change the size and/or font as necessary. If you download the PDF you can print the file and handwrite your name with a sharpie or add a text box to it if you know how. 

Prep

Now to deal with the actual sorts. This is the make-it or break-it point when it comes to using WTW. If you can handle this circus, the rest is easy.

At Emily's school, they ordered a ton of copies of each sort and she had a filing cabinet full of sorts at her disposal whenever she needed them.  In case you aren't that lucky, here's a method that worked for me. 

I got some 6 pocket folders from Really Good Stuff, similar to these. I numbered each folder 1-6 and then used a post-it to label the pockets inside with the group level and number of kids. Each folder holds one week's worth of sorts and each group has its own pocket in that week's folder. 

The next step took me awhile, but now that it's done I'll never have to do it again! I went through the different sort books (for 2nd grade that's Letter-Name Alphabetic, Within Word Patterns, Syllable & Affixes) and copied each sort on yellow paper. I did them double sided to fit in one binder.

Now, every 6 weeks or so, I take my folders, binder, and record notebook to the work room. I figure out what each group needs for the week and put the copies in the correct pocket. This is when having the master in yellow comes in handy- I never mix it with the copies! I can copy and organize 6 weeks worth of sorts in less than 30 minutes!

Supplies

The only other supplies you need are a spiral notebook for each student to do their daily sorting, a zipper pocket for each student to hold the weekly sort (we reuse these for a couple of years until they are too beat up), and highlighters for introducing the sorts on Day 1.

With Words Their Way, the focus of the program is sorting the words. It's a great way for children to learn but it can be tedious to do it day after day. The book has lots of different sort suggestions and I've tried most of them. Over the years, my system has evolved, but this is how it looks most recently.

I give the students their new sorts on Fridays. I give each child their sort.  The cut the words apart and label the back with initials (so simple, but so handy when you find random words on the floor!), and store the cards in a little zipper pocket.  While they're working, I call each group back to the table. We discuss the sort and they highlight an exemplar for each category. That helps them to remember what features they're sorting for.  I like to have them start sorting the words while they're still at the table.  If it's an easy sort or an advanced group, I might only need to see them sort a few words before I know they've "got it."  If its a trickier sort or a struggling group, I may want them to finish the entire sort with me right then so I can offer guidance and address questions.  Depends on the group and it depends on how much time I have at the moment!  :)

Since starting the Daily 5 a few years ago, word sorts are the first thing the students do when they go to the Work on Words station. On Monday, they sort and write. Tuesday is the favorite: speed sort. I found some sand timers from Oriental Trading. Wednesday they sort and graph. And Thursday they sort and glue the words into their notebooks. And on Friday we start with the new sort. They can do each sort in less than 5 minutes. 

Here is a post from 2011 that shows a different weekly schedule for word study, before we started using Daily 5. There is no one right way to do this. Find what works for you! 

Now that I'm doing Daily 5, I have much more free time for working with small groups (Hooray!!).  If I can't meet with a group on Friday, I use one of my Daily 5 rotations on Monday to catch them up.  I also try to meet with every group once during the week to play a game that relates to their sorts. We have mentioned some of these in previous posts. We have a few WTW games available in our shop currently, including a free game Smackdown.

Because I don't use WTW for spelling words, I don't do a "spelling test" of their sorts every week. However, I repeat the PSI assessment (mentioned at the beginning of this post) every quarter. After assessments I will rearrange the groups as necessary.  The WTW level sort books provide periodic assessments that I have great intentions of using, but don't always (okay, very rarely) get time to use.  I've found they provide helpful, but not crucial information, so don't beat yourself up if you can't fit them in to your schedule.  Doing the PSI a few times a year is really a good measure of where my kids are and they don't typically change so much in a quarter that you need weekly assessments.

Words Their Way is so thorough in scope and sequence that most of my students progress from one sort to the next in order.  Occasionally (especially with my ELL students), there will be a big jump in acquired skills, but most students will go step-by-step.  The PSI assessments are still important, though, so you can make sure they are actually progressing and that students are still working at their instructional levels.

It sounds like a lot to take on, but once you establish your organized system, the whole thing will run like a well-oiled machine. And the growth you see in your students will be worth all the hassle of setting it up. In the years I've been diligent with the program, my kids were much more confident in their understanding of spelling patterns. In the years when I've let it slide, I may have some really good natural spellers, but they don't understand why words follow certain patterns. If we want to shape good little spellers, it just makes sense to teach them how to think about words.

"Chunk" Spelling

EDITED AUGUST 14, 1014: Now includes suggested chunks for 1st and 3rd grade (scroll to the bottom).

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Spelling is one of those things that EVERYONE has an opinion about and very few people agree on.  I think that the best way to learn how to spell is to spend extensive time reading and writing.  I also believe that a weekly word list has very little carryover into written work.

That being said, spelling lists are expected.  So I should make the spelling words as useful as possible, right?

With an ideal spelling program, children would:

• learn strategies that will help them spell or read any word

• make connections among words in many ways

• internalize basic spelling patterns

• be engaged in the process and have an opportunity to exercise choice

• be challenged at their individual levels

• master words and spelling patterns that can be generalized to other words.

• quickly and efficiently transfer spelling words to their writing

Is such a program possible?  I'm not sure, but I think we've got something that's pretty close.  We call it our "chunk" spelling.  I can't take credit for it--I learned about it at a district workshop 9 or 10 years ago.  (I don't think the workshop presenters invented this either, but in my research for this post I can't figure out where it originated!)

When I started teaching, I used the word lists from the basal (each student had the same words with some extra words for the high kids).  After that my team tried variations on Words Their Way spelling lists,  but once we learned about "chunk spelling" we didn't look back.

The basis for "chunk spelling," as you might imagine, is the "chunk."  This is the rime (word family) that we focus on all week.  Students are given a small strip of paper with the week's rime.  They use a sound board that contains beginning consonants and blends/digraphs.  They place the rime next to each onset on the board and say the word aloud.  If it's a real word (cop, not dop), they write the word in their notebook.

After listing all the words they can make with the onsets, the students set the sound board and chunk strip aside.  Then they are challenged to think of any "big words" that have the week's rime.

The "big words" are where the magic happens.  2nd graders are supposed to work with compound words, prefixes, and suffixes.  This gives them a real-life reason to do so.  For -ake we might list baker, bakery, snowflake, mistake, retake, taken, etc.  And when someone suggests "bakeing," we can have a quick little lesson right then about the e-drop rule. 

At this point (after a few weeks of training) they're working independently.  I don't correct any errors.  You'll notice that she has "hab" written as a word (she's thinking of it as related to habitat) and she's misspelled laboratory.

After everyone has made some headway with their word lists (the high kids are usually discussing big words, the strugglers are still working through the onsets), I post a large chart paper on the board and we create a class list. The small words (single consonant onset + rime) go in the left column.  The medium words (blend/digraph + rime) goes in the middle.  The last column is for big words.

(My awesome mother makes up a year's worth of charts for me during the summer.  They all follow this same format.)

As we're making our class list,  I address misconceptions (like hab) and misspellings (soak can't go with oke). I have some rules about what is allowed on the list.

1. The word must contain the week's chunk in the sound that we're focusing on.  For example, hopeful has op in the middle, however it doesn't make the short o sound so it can't be added.
2. The chunk must be in its entirety.  So baking doesn't make the list even though the root word is bake.
3. No names.  At some point in the year a student will suggest a Pokemon or other character. I don't know these characters.  I don't know if they're appropriate for school.  I also don't add names of students' friends and family.  No brothers named "Jayson" for the -ay chunk.  I think it just muddies the water too much.  I do make exceptions for widely known characters like Cinderella.
4. If someone suggests a word no one can define, I don't add it to the list either.  I've found that my 5 second definition isn't enough for them to internalize it and I have a bunch of low readers adding nab and slab to their lists and not really knowing anything about these words.

I push everybody to think of at least 3 big words, but sometimes they can't (or won't) get that far (or everybody thinks of the same 3!).  When that happens, I have a list of word suggestions that I keep in a little index card box.  I can refer to my words if we need to flesh out the list a bit.  Also, if a student suggests a word that isn't on my list I add it so I'll have it for next year!

Once our list is in tip-top shape, the kids choose their spelling words for the week.  They choose 10 words and write it in their spelling notebook (to leave at school).  Then they must show me!  This is something that we go over and over and over because there's always one or two that can't remember this step (even with photographs of me on the board!).  After I've checked that the 10 words are spelled correctly, they copy the list onto that week's homework page.  I check it a 2nd time and then it goes in the homework folder.

I love that the kids get to choose their own words.  In a 2nd grade class you have some kids who will be struggling to spell cat.  And you have some kids who are ready for the challenge of caterpillar.  I would rather challenge kids with a few difficult words than working on a large number of easy words. 

The students love the choice, too!  They're much more willing to attempt big words if it's something they suggested.  After I get to know which kids are strong spellers, or as the year progresses, I may make the rule that Tommy has to pick only big words or Jill has to have at least 3 big words.  It depends on the child.  It also depends on the class-wide abilities.  A few years, when I've had high classes, about mid-year I've made the rule that no one can choose from the small word column.  Last year was NOT a year like that, but you know how it goes...!

The kids practice their spelling words in their morning work.  They practice them during Daily 5.  And they work on them for homework.  On Friday, we test.  For the first few weeks, regardless of the student's individual list, I give a class-wide test on the 10 easiest words.  Starting about October, I start to train them how to test each other.

Using my Words Their Way data, I pair students of similar abilities (because they've likely chosen words at a similar level of difficulty).  We've already learned how to number our papers to 10.  Now they have to get a clipboard (or book) and choose a place to work.  Partners switch spelling notebooks.  They're taught that one student is the giver one is the test taker.  After one test is complete it's turned in to me.  Roles are switched and the second test is given.  As pairs finish, they come get a new chunk strip and start to work on next week's words.

It takes at least a half-hour (longer at the beginning) to complete the testing, make new individual lists, and make a class list.  It also takes another 15-20 minutes for students to make their own take-home spelling lists.  So this takes up a big chunk of our class time on Fridays!  (We don't do Daily 5 on Fridays for this reason.)

So why do I think this is worth so much class time?  And why don't I use Words Their Way for spelling?  To answer that let me redirect you to that list from the beginning of this post.

With an ideal spelling program, children would:

• learn strategies that will help them spell or read any word

• make connections among words in many ways

• internalize basic spelling patterns

• be engaged in the process and have an opportunity to exercise choice

• be challenged at their individual levels

• master words and spelling patterns that can be generalized to other words.

• quickly and efficiently transfer spelling words to their writing

All of these goals can be addressed by teaching chunk spelling.  You know that I love Words Their Way.  I think it's very powerful to to look at a student's strengths and give him or her the support to move to the next level of success.  But in my experience, WTW isn't as effective in the "new words on Monday/test on Friday" model.  Doing the weekly sorts isn't enough to develop strategic spellers.

 With WTW, students are refining concepts and rules.  With chunk spelling, they're practicing word attack strategies.

Children will become more powerful spellers if they are taught that knowing how to spell one word can help them spell many other words.  This analogy idea broadens as students learn more about written language.

Diane Snowball Spelling K-8 Planning and Teaching, p.13

"Chunk" spelling is technically called spelling by analogy.  Using part you know to figure out what you don't.

 Dorothy P. Hall and Patricia Cunningham use this skill brilliantly in their Making Words activity as well as Rounding up the Rhymes from their Month-by-Month Phonics books.

Spelling by analogy is incredibly powerful for beginning readers and writers.  You can read a study here about the positive effects of explicit onset and rime instruction.  J. Richard Gentry goes so far as to say that spelling by analogy is the fulcrum of beginning reading and writing.

Deciphering the English spelling system and understanding how the printed symbols of the alphabet—namely, letters or chunks of letter combinations and patterns—combine to represent comprehendible, meaningful, pronounceable words and subword parts, are at the fulcrum of beginning reading (and writing). Once this chunking breakthrough is accomplished, the brain can activate circuitry for recognizing words automatically and read with much more proficiency, precision, and independence. (We will see that early independent reading, which is much more dependent on repetition and memorization of easy material, may be an entirely different process and activate different brain circuitry than later skilled independent reading.) It may surprise you that it normally takes some children two years to break the code. (And too many never really break it!).

J. Richard Gentry, Breaking the Code, p. xiv

So chunk spelling deserves some of our class time!

 With WTW, students are exploring sounds.  With chunk spelling, they're building words.

Teaching spelling this way shows students the building blocks that make up words. 

The most useful aspect of knowing about onsets and rimes is that by starting with one word children can work out how to read and spell other words.  The more print words children are familiar with, the better able they are to use analogy—for example, not only will they work out how to read or spell man because they know can, but they can also figure out how to read and spell smack because they know the words smile and back.

Diane Snowball Spelling K-8 Planning and Teaching, p.71

With WTW, students are learning content.  With chunk spelling, they're learning a strategy. 

When I teach math, I do some lessons where we explore one topic (even and odd, counting coins, etc.).  I also do lessons based entirely on practicing strategies.  The whole class may be doing the same problem, but they’re exploring and discussing different ways to solve that problem.  It’s the same with spelling.  WTW gives them the content (the long a sound can be made with: a_e, ai, ay, eigh).  Weekly chunk spelling helps them build strategies for decoding and writing any unknown word (I hear a long a sound, which spelling pattern should I use? I'll use -ai because entertain has the same chunk as rain.)

With WTW, words are assigned.  With chunk spelling students choose what they practice.

It's true that WTW is leveled, but there's something incredibly powerful about giving students ownership over the words they practice.  They're more motivated which, in turn, makes them more successful.

WTW can be overwhelming.  Chunk spelling meets beginning spellers where they're at. 

In a WTW sort there are 20-30 words.  That's a lot for a 2nd grader to master in a week.  Especially if they don't know which 10 or 15 they'll be tested on.  For beginning spellers it's particularly tricky because many of their sorts are pictures.  They might be sorting long a and short a pictures, but the long a pictures may represent a variety of spelling patterns (cake, rain, play, etc.).  One sort that comes to mind is for beginning short vowel sounds.  Those pictures are Etch-a-Sketch, ostrich, alligator, igloo, umbrella...great sounds to listen for, not great spelling words!

Also, many of the WTW sorts involve vowel sounds with the same pattern, but different spelling.  It seems mean spirited to test students on it after only a week of practice, especially when the WTW assessments don’t come until the end of a “unit” (which is often preceded by a week of a review sort).  When I used WTW sorts for weekly spelling words there was a lot of frustration and confusion. 

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Well, I hope that answers some questions about what I do for spelling.  I don't think chunk spelling is better than Words Their Way.  I think kids need the support of both. 

WTW teaches students why a word is spelled the way it is.  Chunk spelling teaches students what to do with that information.

If you're interested in some chunk spelling resources you can download the files:

• Sound Board for Beginning Consonants bw
• Sound Board for Beginning Consonants color

• Sound Board for Beginning blends bw
• Sound Board for Beginning blends color

Decide if you want b&w or color.  Print them back-to-back.

My team and I picked 35 rimes that we thought were important for 2nd graders to practice.  We started with the simplest, 2-letter chunks (at, op, etc.).  We progressed through 3-letter short vowel, long vowel (silent e), other long vowel patterns (aw, ight), but we ended with some simple ones.  I promise there is method to our madness! 

Most 2nd graders don't need practice with im, ob, ab, and et word families, but there are some fabulous "big words" you can make with those chunks (absolutely, observation, impossible, supermarket).  So we put those 4 rimes last and focus more on the long vowel teams during the year. 

For 1st grade or struggling readers you would probably want to add more short vowel chunks.  There are 35 weeks, but 36 chunks listed.  That's because I complete the first chart (op) before school starts.  On the first day I discuss the completed chart with the students and they choose their spelling words for the week.  At the end of the first week they help me make the next week's list (at).  We do the sound board/list making as a whole class for the first few weeks or until I feel they understand my expectations.

• Spelling Chunks for 35 Weeks

You'll notice we've steered clear of the -uck chunk, but there are a couple in there that could cause some headaches (-am and -ell spring to mind).  Depending on the tone of your class there are a few ways to handle this: 

1) Let them know up-front that they're not pulling one over one you.  "I know there's a word you can make that is not appropriate for school.  You don't need to mention it, write it, or tell a friend about it.  We're just not going to worry about the letter h today." 

2) If you've got a class that isn't going to let you take the high road (some years are like that!), do something a little different with a tricky chunk.    Ahead of time, make an onset deck.  Use some index cards.  Write a beginning consonant, blend, or digraph on each card.  Remove any offending letters (h) and distribute the rest of the cards.  Don't use the sound boards and work on the list as a whole-class. ("Does anybody have a letter they can put with -ell to make a word?")

3) You can always replace the chunk with something less explosive.

• Word Families suggestions

I printed the chunk strips on different colors of cardstock and stored them in baseball card sleeves in a 3-ring binder.  Slap a label on each pocket and rubberband each set of strips together (the little ponytail rubberbands work perfectly for a set of chunk strips)...you're set for a few years!

I used large paper clips to kind of keep each card pocket shut.  It wasn't perfect, but it did a pretty good job of keeping the cards from sliding out.

• Chunk strips

I clearly set up each grid on the chunk strips to have the dotted lines so you'd know to cut them apart (and I had to do each page individually because it wouldn't do it automatically).  I save it as a .pdf and...solid lines.  Grrrrrr.  Anyway, happy spelling!

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Several people have asked for suggestions for 1st and 3rd grade chunks.  It's taken me a while, but I have some lists for you. . There are a few things to keep in mind:

1. You are responsible for ensuring that the chunks and suggested words are appropriate for your class.  If someone just lost a family member to a drowning, them maybe drown isn't going to be a word you include on your class's list this week.
2. Think of controversial words ahead of time and decide on a way to handle it or prevent it.  If you're doing the -orn chunk, I can guarantee some kid will suggest "p-rn." (I don't want to type out the word incase some filters block this blog post).  And you know -est is almost certain to lead to the word "bre-st."  I had one kid proudly offer the word "v-gina" for -ine .  I just said, "That's not spelled with an -ine" and quickly went on!  When it comes to prepping for this activity, think dirty because the kids will!
3. When you're making your class's list, it's important to only include words that all use the chunk in the same way.  For example, if you're doing -ough as in rough, you couldn't use the word bough or cough or dough because they all have different sounds. 
4. I've suggested words that sound right for the chunk with my Utah accent.  If you live elsewhere, your accent may change the sound of the words.  Adjust for that.
5. I haven't included every word possible with the chunk.  Some words are just too uncommon for most kids to know.  For example, I didn't include the word bethank in the list because most kids won't know it.  The focus of this activity is to improve spelling, not vocabulary.
6. The 1st grade list has several short vowel patterns.  The groups have a good sized list of "short" and "medium" length words and a few of the "big" words.  This is appropriate for 1st grade.
7. The 3rd grade words, for the most part, use trickier chunks.  There are usually fewer "small" and "medium" words, but a large number of the "big" words.  Not every "big" word is included on this list.  Use what you know about words to extend the list.  For example, the word dream is on the list.  But then remember that you can make most nouns plural with an s or es (dreams), verbs will have different tenses (dreaming, dreamed), and adjectives can often be comparitives (dreamy, dreamier, dreamiest).  And then there are all the compound words (daydream, dreamtime, etc.)  It's important for kids to see how knowing a small word can build to many big words.
8. There is some overlap among the 3 lists.  Because I made the 2nd grade list based on my needs as a 2nd grade teacher, there are some chunks on that list that would also be appropriate for 3rd grade or would be very beneficial for 1st graders to practice.  I would suggest looking at all three lists and deciding which chunks would best help your students.  If multiple grades use the same chunks at your school, it's okay.  A student in 2nd grade is going to approach the -ay chunk differently than she will as a 3rd grader.
9. The lists start with a "practice week," so you can make up a list ahead of time and then have students choose from the completed list for the first week.  After that you can have students help generate the list.
10. I only have 27 weeks listed for 3rd grade.  I ran out of usable chunks.  If you're wanting this for a full year of 3rd, look at the lists from 2nd and 1st and choose some other chunks for your students.

You can download the lists here:

Download 1st Grade word suggestions

Download 3rd Grade word suggestions

I didn't make the chunk strips for the different grade levels (I'm not that nice!).  If you need to make them for your class, set up a table in a word document with 3 columns and 10 rows.  I like to leave the lines on so I know where to cut.  The 2nd grade chunk strips are typed in Futura HV in 42 pt.  Make sure everything is aligned to the left (so the chunk will line up with the onset on the sound board).  Leave some space on the right so the chunk can be held, but still read.

Guest Post

We're guest blogging about Words Their Way over at the Tattooed Teacher today!  Stop by and say hi!

Freebie Words Their Way Game

There is a newer Words Their Way post with more information. Click to see it now.

Earlier this week I was looking through some of our Words Their Way posts and noticed that we gave away the game "Smackdown" but the link to the download was buried in another post and it was hard to find. To make it easier, I'm sharing the game here again.

Smackdown is a slap-jack like card game for two players. The game teaches VCV and VCCV patterns. It coordinates with Words Their Way Syllabiles & Affixes stage (Syllable Juncture).

The download includes directions, the game, and a practice skill sheet.

Click here to download.

Words Their Way--Resource List

There is a newer Words Their Way post with more information. Click to see it now.

I thought it would be nice to have all the Words Their Way resources in one post. I'm also including a link to the sort sequences that I use to organize my binder.

Letter Name Alphabetic sorts
Within Word Pattern sorts
Syllables and Affixes sorts


At the bottom of each "unit" (?) I listed the games I use to reinforce those concepts. Some of the games are in our Etsy shop.
For the Letter/Name Alphabetic stage, we have:

• The R-Express (r blends)
• Welcome to the Neighborhood (short e,o,a word families)
• Cops & Robbers (short vowels)
• Terrific Teeth (ch, th, sh, wh)
• Reindeer Feed (short/long vowel sounds)

For the Within Word Pattern stage there's:

• Double Sound Dominoes (sounds of oo, y, and ow)
• Magic Lamp (sounds of c and g)

Syllables and Affixes:

• Ghosts in the Cemetery (sounds of c and g)
• Bonkers -- FREE DOWNLOAD --(review of vowel patterns in 1 syllable words)
• Smack Down -- FREE DOWNLAOD -- (vcv and vccv patterns)

I give this form for students to take the assessment.

And this form to record their scores.


I keep track of my groups in this book.


There's also a cover here.

Please see the NEWER POST about WTW that has all this information + much, much more!

Let me know if there's something you'd like to know more about or a part of Words Their Way you're struggling with. I'm by no means an expert, but I've been doing this long enough that maybe I have a tip or two.

Happy spelling!!

Words Their Way--Record Book

I finally got around to making a new record book for my Words Their Way groups. My last one lasted me several years, but it was finally full. So here's the newbie. I got the cute clipart from Lettering Delights.


I like to keep track of which group is one which level, so I made some easy check-off-the-box type forms. Then I took it all to Staples to get it coil bound.


After I started using this, I realized I was still having to label each group early, middle, or late. So I updated the file to include an e m l under each stage. That way you can just circle which level they're on.

I only have 5 groups (well, 5 groups and 1 little guy who is so low that he's his own group :( ), but I made a page that has 6 groups in case you have a really wide range of abilities in your class.

You can get the pieces here:
Please see the NEWER POST about WTW that has all this information + much, much more!

Happy spelling!

Words Their Way--Word Study

Edited to add: Please see the NEWER POST about WTW that has all this information + much, much more!

After all that prep work it’s finally time for the kids to do some learning! With Words Their Way, the focus is on sorting the words. It’s a great way for the children to learn about spelling patterns, but it can be tedious doing it day after day. The book has lots of different sort suggestions and I’ve tried most of them. Over the years my system has evolved, it always seems to be “in-progress,” but this is how it’s been going this year.

Monday—a part of their morning work, the kids glue last week’s sort into their notebooks. In the afternoon they cut out their new sort. They write their initials on the back of each word card and store them all in a zipper pocket.


Tuesday—During morning work, I call each group back to the rug and introduce their sort for the week. They highlight the category cards and one exemplar for each category. I think it helps them remember their categories better. Then they take their words back to their desks to sort and write.


Wednesday—Students sort, draw, and label as part of their morning work.

Thursday—Students sort and graph as part of their morning work. A couple years ago I had a student who HATED word sorts. He invented sort & graph as a shortcut. The students sort their words and then draw a graph in their notebooks. I let them choose what kind of graph
to draw. Sometimes they do tallies, most of them choose bar graphs, and occasionally someone will make a pictograph.


Later in the morning, the kids play a game using the words in their sort or a recent sort. I have files of the games and made enough copies for a group of 8 to play each one. Some of the games come from the WTW book. Most are games I made up. You can find some of them in our Etsy shop (Terrific Teeth, Ghosts in the Cemetery, …) . While the kids play games, I do any assessments.

You can download a free game for your students here (and the rules for playing here). It's a crazy-8 style card game called Bonkers to help practice vowel patterns (CVVC, CVC, CVCe, CVCC) in single syllable words.

Fridays—As part of their morning work, kids look through books to find examples of words that fit their categories.

That’s what works for me these days. I’m sure there will be some tweaking to it next year. There’s no denying that it takes a lot of work to get this program up and running. Some years I haven’t been diligent in following this program and it shows in when my children show a weak understanding of vowels. Even the good spellers don't really understand why words follow particular patterns.

It's been 6 years of trial and error, but Words Their Way has helped me be a better spelling teacher. I love the power of knowing how my children think about spelling. Being able to help them progress as readers and writers is worth all the effort.

Words Their Way--Organization

Edited to add: Please see the NEWER POST about WTW that has all this information + much, much more!

One of the most helpful bits of WTW advice is something I heard in a workshop: do what you can. If you feel like you can manage 8 different groups with weekly reassessments, then go for it. If you only feel ready to take on 2 groups with words sorts every other week, then that’s ok too. Make it work for you!

After testing your students, the next step is to organize them for word study. It works best for me to write the levels down one side of a paper and then list the students next to their level. I decided I could handle 4 groups, so I look for ways to divide up the kids.

That’s the easy part.

Then it comes down to managing this 4-ring circus!

I ended up making a half-sheet form for each week. I cut down some post-it notes and listed the kids for each group. Then I list the sort for each week.


I found that I was spending a significant portion of my planning time on Mondays getting sorts ready for the week. Instead I found some 4-pocket folders and assigned one of the pockets to each of my groups. I put a week’s worth of sorts in each folder and then I’m set for 5 or 6 weeks!


The past few years my school has stocked a filing cabinet with wordsorts so anyone can access what they need.


Before we had the filing cabinet, I made my own sort binder. Using the WTW level books from our school library, I copied each sort onto a yellow sheet of paper (yellow so I don’t lose my master among the copies!). I copied each of the assessments (also from the WTW level books) on pink so I could find them quickly.


Then I organized them in a binder. If the filing cabinet is running low on sorts I still have to make copies, but that’s much less frequent now.

Words Their Way--Assessment

Edited to add: Please see the NEWER POST about WTW that has all this information + much, much more!

On the last Words Their Way post, Mrs. Ibarra commented:

I have a copy of this book, but our Reading program does word sorts and uses them as spelling words too. It teaches a 2-3 patterns at a time...ay and ai for example. Do you think I could combine the two? I haven't looked at the book in a while. I purchased it for a Graduate class, but really haven't looked at it since.

Mrs. Ibarra, I’m not sure how your reading program is set up, but with Words Their Way instead of doing whole-class sorts, you teach students on their levels.The assessment piece is what I think makes Words Their Way so beneficial.

To start off, you give the class a (lengthy) spelling test.There are a couple of different versions depending on the grade you teach.Since I’ve got 2^nd graders, I use the Primary Spelling Inventory (PSI).On the Pearson website, you can see an example of the different tests and a rundown on how to score them.

Then you get to grade them. I love looking at the data, but I hate doing all the recording. When you’ve got 20+ students, it can take a while. It helps to think happy thoughts. “I only do this 4 times a year…I can watch some Richard Armitage while I grade…”

Each of the words is broken down into key components—beginning sounds, vowel sounds, suffixes, etc. You don’t analyze every part of every word, so you need the feature guide to show you what you’re looking for. You put the student’s test in front of you and start checking off what was written correctly.

 

The feature guide in the book is horizontal, but I found that it’s easier for me to grade in a hurry if the page is vertical, so I retyped the info on my own form. Also, I like to use the same page for the whole year so I can easily track student growth.I use a different color pen each time I give the test and color the key at the top of the page.

After checking each word, then you total the number of checks in each column. The different columns represent different levels of spelling mastery. Each feature is checked in 7 different words. If a student correctly writes the feature (for example, short vowel sounds) 6 or 7 times you know it has been mastered. If a child gets 5 or fewer correct, that’s considered the student’s level.

If you look at this sheet, you'll see how this student has progressed over the year.

 

At the beginning of 2nd grade, she misspelled two of the short vowel words. In that column (on the left), I recorded her score in black. If you look at the next column, you can see she got 6 of the features correct. Even though she technically passed that column, I went back to the first level where she missed two or more words to determine her level. In this case, Letter-Name Alphabetic stage. A little low for 2nd grade.

When I gave the test at the end of 1st term (burgundy numbers), she'd mastered the short vowels, digraphs, and blends. But she missed every single one of the long vowel patterns. So I knew her level had moved to middle Within Word pattern stage. This is where most of my 2nd graders fall.

On the third test at the end of 2nd term, she'd mastered long vowels, but not all the vowel patterns like aw, ir, etc. So that's where we're working now.

When my student teacher finishes up, I'll give the assessment again to determine where she should work for the last part of the year. If I'm really feeling motivated I may give the test again at the end of the year to see how far she's grown, but by the end of May my enthusiasm for grading is minimal. :)

The interesting thing about the WTW assessment is that it's as focused on mistakes as it is words spelled correctly. For example, a child that spells goat “gote” obviously can’t spell the word goat. But what the error tells you is that he understands that something has to happen to a vowel to make it long. In this case, the speller knows that silent e often plays a role. So this student is probably going to be in the middle of the Within Word Pattern stage and ready to practice long vowel patterns like ai, oa, ue, etc.

You can download a copy of my version of the feature guide here. This is only for the Primary Spelling Inventory. The upper grades have a different set of words. 

This is a copy of the form that I give my students to write on. I really hate waiting for them to number their papers from 1-26. Plus this way I can do some record keeping right on their forms.

 

  

Words Their Way--Overview

Edited to add: Please see the NEWER POST about WTW that has all this information + much, much more!

For all its craziness, the English language is based on patterns. So it makes sense, when we're teaching little ones to read and write, to focus our instruction on those patterns. That's why I love Words Their Way. It's an assessment based, hands-on approach to teaching spelling.


I really believe in this program, but it is rather tricky to get it up and running. If you're using Words Their Way (I shorten it to WTW) with your class or children, please chime in with your experiences. And if you're considering trying this or frustrated with how it's working for you, maybe something we share this week will help you out.

For the record, here's my background with this program:

• It's encouraged, but not required in my district. Teachers have a lot of autonomy about how they implement.
• I've taken a couple trainings, but most of my know-how came from the book and trial and error.
• My students have a weekly sort, but I don't use it for my spelling words.
• I have the Words Their Way book and my school has a set of the sort books for each level. There are a lot more resources under the WTW umbrella, but I haven't seen any of them.

Check back tomorrow when we tackle the biggest WTW hurdle: organization.