In Room 24, we will be following the Words Their Way (WTW)program. This program requires the student to practice both at school and at home. Words Their Way is different than a traditional spelling program in that it models and teaching different spelling patterns.
Here are some important things to know about the Words Their Way spelling program:
How to practice:
Here are some important things to know about the Words Their Way spelling program:
- Students will get new word lists every two weeks, on the first Monday
- Word lists are created based on common spelling patterns, each word list is called a ‘word sort’
- Each sort will have a few different categories, each category will follow a different spelling rule
- Students should know which pattern a word follows AND how to spell it correctly
- Students are encouraged to practice both sorting words and spelling them at home
- There will be a short test at the end of the two weeks to see if students can sort and spell their words correctly
- Some sorts may be picture-based, encouraging the students to think about the sounds in the words rather than the letter symbols
How to practice:
- Basic Sort: Cut out the words from the page and sort them into the different categories (keep the words in a small plastic Ziploc to use again)
- Write: Record the sort on a piece of paper by creating a chart with a section for each category
- Blind Sort: Create an empty chart, with each category labeled. Have someone else (parent) read one word out loud at a time, keeping the word hidden. Write each word in the right category.
- Sentences: For an extra challenge, try writing a sentence for each of the words
- Word Hunt: Pick a book you like to read and try to find your WTW words in it! You can play alone or race a partner and see who can find more words! You should write down the words you find and keep a tally of how many times you see the same word.