Words Their Way

Okay, buckle your seatbelts!  I know this post is lengthy, but I have some very important information to share with you.  It concerns our new word study program (spelling) that your child will be involved in everyday of the week here at school.  This year I will be using a program called Words Their Way in my classroom.  Words Their Way is phonics, spelling, and vocabulary instruction through daily word study.

Over the past two weeks of second grade, the students have been practicing procedures and routines for spelling and word study at school.  Each day your student will have the opportunity to practice their words in some capacity at school.  Your help is needed in helping them to practice the words at home as well.

One focus of word study is to teach students how to spell and decode new words and to improve their word recognition speed in general.  To accomplish this goal, I will teach the students how to examine words to learn the regularities that exist in the spelling system.  I will also teach them some irregularities of spelling (we call “oddball words”).  The simple process of sorting words into categories is the heart of our word study program.  When students sort words, they are engaged in the active process of searching, comparing, contrasting, and analyzing.  Word sorts help students organize what they know about words and to form generalizations that they can then apply to new words they encounter in their reading.

The best part of a word study is that your child can sort words anywhere!  Yes, anywhere! And I‘d like for him/her to start sorting their weekly spelling words at home.  It’s easy and it’s fun!  It’s a hands-on way to get kids to learn more about our spelling system!

What you can do at home:

1.    Each week I will send home some word cards and various header cards.  Have your child cut out the word cards and the different head cards.

2.    There are directions on the letter that will come home with your child this week that tells you what kinds of activities the kids can do with their word cards.

3.    Let your child sort the word cards.  If he/she makes a mistake, don’t correct it right away.  You’ll have time to do that later.

4.    When your child is finished, go through each column and make sure he/she can pronounce each word and confirm that the word “fits” underneath the header.  This is the time to help them correct any mistakes.

5.    It is extremely important that your child can pronounce each word. Keep reviewing this if you find it is a little difficult.  They should know the meanings of the words as well.

6.    Each week I will try to send home a different type of sort that your child can do.  If students do not pass their weekly spelling test, they will remain on the same list until they have reached 80% mastery of that list.

This is not traditional homework.  Nothing needs to be turned back into me.  I just thought this would be a fun, more productive, and a more meaningful way of studying spelling words with your child.  The days of copying words five or ten times each is gone.

Whew, nothing like information overload!  Please do not hesitate to call or email me if you have ANY questions or concerns on this new program.  Just try it, I think you will like it and so will the kids!