![]() Students sort their word cards, and glue them into their Word Collector’s Notebook in sorted columns using a glue stick. I simply login and select the correct test for each group without the need to type every list each week.ĭuring our Friday word work block, students are given 30 minutes to “Sort, Glue, Test”. ![]() This website makes differentiated assessment seamless because all the Words Their Way lists are pre-loaded into their database. On Friday before school, I refer to my spreadsheet as I assign each group their spelling test for the week using Spelling City. This is an easy way to boost student writing growth while practicing word work. When students finish writing their sentences, I provide feedback on the spot. This year, I will be following the lead of one of my team mates and setting specific requirements for sentences that are more closely connected to our grammar standards. In the past, I have required students to write “juicy third grade sentences” that are filled with descriptive detail. This activity is modified from the suggestions in the Words Their Way curriculum.Įach week, students select five words from their sort that interest them or challenge them in some way and use each word in a separate sentence. At the beginning of the year, these faster sorts are challenging for most students, but they quickly catch on to the routine and begin loving the challenge.ĭuring our Thursday word work block, students are given 30 minutes to independently complete “Word Work Sentences” in their Word Collector’s Notebook. We then complete a second speed sort that lasts two minutes, and a final sort that lasts 1 minute. My students love this silent celebration time before the next sort. They write their name or initials on the back of each sort card, cut the cards apart, recycle their scraps, and place their words in their pocket. During bellwork (the first 20 minutes a day), they slide one copy of their sort into their homework folder, and complete their “Cut, Label, Pocket” routine with the other sort. On Monday morning students walk in the room, and see their new sort sitting on their desk. Below is an outline of the activities we complete each day in an effort to prepare for our weekly word word/spelling assessment. This could also become a class job, but passing out all the sorts doesn’t take me long, and is a little something that helps me prepare my mind for the week ahead.Įach day of the week, we spend time completing word work activities in the classroom, followed by additional practice at home each night. On Friday after school, I set the two copies of the upcoming sort on each student’s desk so they are ready to cut and label their sort when they come in the room first thing on Monday morning. I was trying too hard to teach “by the book” and use the Words Their Way sorts exactly the way the teacher guide suggested, which just isn’t realistic in most elementary classrooms where we are planning and teaching every subject.I was trying to squeeze word work practice into a 10-15 minute block of time, which is not nearly enough.My two biggest mistakes at the time were: Teaching this way was uncomfortable, so our team made the decision to begin teaching differentiated spelling within our reading RTI block, using Words Their Way.ĭue to the fact that Words Their Way was taught during our RTI block, I was only managing one or two lists, and introducing lists every two weeks. ![]() Giving the same spelling list to an entire class robs most students of the targeted instruction they need, and addresses the needs of a very small percentage of our learners. As many of you have likely realized, these one-size-fits-all lists create a real instructional struggle in an elementary classroom. When I first implemented Words Their Way, I found it completely overwhelming.Īt the time, our school was using Houghton Mifflin for reading instruction, which came with weekly spelling lists that were designed for third graders. ![]()
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