Stages of Spelling Development

1. Stages of Spelling Development Spelling is all about PATTERNS. Children need to be taught to see the patterns so they learn patterns instead of memorizing every single letter of every single word.

2. WORD STUDY IS DEVELOPMENTAL • Word study teaches students to examine and discover regularities, patterns, and rules • Word study increases specific knowledge of words--the spelling and meaning of individual words

3. Three Layers of English Orthography Alphabetic--represents the relationship between letters and sounds Patterns--guide the grouping of letters Meaning--groups of letters represent meaning directly THE BASIS FOR WORD STUDY

4. Standards Addressed by Word Study/Word Sort Activities:

5. Stages of Spelling Development • Emergent • Letter-Name • Within Word Pattern • Syllable Juncture • Derivational Constancy

6. Emergent--Pre-K to Middle of 1st • Scribble letters and #’s • Lack concepts of words • Lack letter-sound correspondence • Pretend to read and write

7. Emergent Word Study Focus • Develop concept sorts • Play w/ speech sounds to develop phonological awareness • Plan alphabet activities • Sort pictures by beginning sounds • Encourage fingerpoint memory of rhymes, dictations, and simple pattern books • Encourage invented spellings

8. Letter-Name--K to Middle of 2nd • Represents beginning and ending sounds • Has functional concept of word • Reads word by word in beginning reading materials

9. Early Letter Name--Word Study Focus • Collect known words for word banks • Sort pictures and words by beginning sounds • Study word families (rimes) that share a common vowel • Study beginning consonant blends and digraphs • Encourage invented spelling

10. Middle to Late Letter Name--Word Study Focus • Sort pictures and words by different short vowel word families • Sort pictures and words by short vowel sounds and CVC patterns • Continue to examine consonant blends and digraphs • Begin simple sound sorts comparing short and long vowel sounds • Collect known words for word banks (up to 200)

11. Within Word Pattern--1st Grade to Middle of 4th • Spells most single-syllable short vowel words correctly • Spells most beginning consonant digraphs and 2-letter consonant blends • Attempts to use silent-E markers • Reads silently and more fluently • Writes more fluently • Can edit and revise

12. Within Word Pattern--Word Study Focus • Complete daily activities in word study notebooks • Sort words by long and short vowel sounds and by common long vowel patterns • Compare words with r-controlled vowels • After mastering common long vowels, explore less common vowels and diphthongs (OI, OU, AU, OW) • Review lends and digraphs as needed and examine triple blends and complex consonant units (THR, STR, DGE, TCH, CK)

13. Syllable Juncture--Grades 3-8 • Spells most single syllable words correctly • Makes errors at syllable juncture and in unaccented syllables • Reads with good fluency and expression • Reads faster silently than orally • Writes responses that sophisticated and critical

14. Syllable Juncture--Word Study Focus • Examine consonant doubling and inflected endings • Focus on unaccented syllables such as ER and LE • Join spelling and vocabulary studies; link meaning and spelling • Explore grammar through word study • Sort and study affixes • Study stress or accent in two-syllable words

15. Derivational Constancy--Grades 5-12 • Have mastered high-frequency words • Make errors on low-frequency words derived from Greek and Latin combining forms • Read with good fluency and expression • Read faster silently than orally • Write responses that are sophis-ticated and critical

16. Derivational Constancy--Word Study Focus • Focus on words that students bring to word study from reading and writing • Join spelling and vocabulary studies; link meaning and spelling • Examine common and then less common roots, prefixes and suffixes • Examine vowel alterations in derivationally related pairs (native, national; combine, combination) • Explore etymology, especially in the content areas • Examine content-related foreign borrowings