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International Education Agency of Papua New Guinea
Centre for Professional Development
Spelling Teacher Handbook : Appendices
Focus: Years 3-8
These Appendices are to be read in conjunction with the Spelling Teacher Handbook and Teaching
and Learning Activities document.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Appendix 1: Resources and References ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Appendix 2: Websites and Apps ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Appendix 3: Fortnightly Teaching Plan .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Appendix 4: Read and Spell ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
Appendix 5: Assessable Aspects of Spelling ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Appendix 6: Implementing Spelling Incorporating Word Study ................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Appendix 7: Glossary of Spelling Terms ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Appendix 8: Proofreading Guides……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………31
Appendix 9: Words Their Way Inventories .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 38
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 3
APPENDIX 1: RESOURCES AND REFERENCES
IEA Curriculum: http://ieapng.net/curriculum/english/
Words Their Way Resources: http://www.literacyconnections.com/WordsTheirWay.php
References:
Baker, L. (2000). Building the word-level foundation for engaged reading. Engaging young readers: Promoting achievement and motivation. New York: Guilford Press.
Barnes, W. G. (1986). Word sorting: The cultivation of rules for spelling in English. Reading Psychology, 10, 293-307.
Bear, D. R., & Barone, D. (1989). Using children’s spellings to group for word study and directed reading in the primary classroom. Reading Psychology, 10, 275-292.
Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2000). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall
Chandler, K., (2000) What I Had Wish I’d Known About Teaching Spelling English Journal National Council of Teachers of English, 87-95
Cochran-Smith, M. & S. L. Lytle (1999). Relationships of knowledge and practice: Teacher learning in communities. In Review of research in education, 24, 249-305.
Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.
Cunningham (2000) Phonics They Use Addison Wesley
Fountas, I & Pinnell, G (1998) Word matters: teaching phonics and spelling in the reading/writing classroom Heinemann
Henderson, E. H. (1992). The interface of lexical competence and knowledge of written words. In S. Templeton, & D. R. Bear (Eds.), Development of orthographic
knowledge and foundations of literacy: A memorial festschrift for Edmund H. Henderson. (p. 1-30). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Henderson, E. H. (1981). Learning to read and spell: The child’s knowledge of words. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois Press.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 4
Miller (2002) Voices from the Middle, Vol 9, No.3
Templeton, S. (1991). Teaching and learning the English spelling system: Reconceptualizing method and purpose. Elementary School Journal, 92, 185-201.
Templeton, S., & Morris, D. (1999). Questions teachers ask about spelling. Reading Research Quarterly, 34, 102-112.
Turbill, J., Bean, W. (2006) Writing Instruction K-6: Process, Purpose, Audience Richard Owens
Zutell, J. (1998). Word sorting: A developmental spelling approach to word study for delayed readers. Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties, 14,
219-238.
Zutell, J. (1992). An integrated view of word knowledge: Correlational studies of the relationships among spelling, reading, and conceptual development. In S. Templeton &
D. Bear (Eds.), Development of orthographic knowledge and the foundations of literacy: A memorial festschrift for Edmund H. Henderson. (p. 213-230). Hillsdale, NJ:
Lawrence Erlbaum.
Adapted and excerpted from: Leipzig, D. H. (2000). The Knowledge Base for Word Study: What Teachers Need to Know. Scientific Studies of Reading, 11(2), 105-131.
State of Queensland (Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority) 2015 Queensland’s Literacy Test: A Framework for describing spelling items
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 5
APPENDIX 2: WEBSITES AND APPS
Websites to investigate
Note: Websites should be checked regularly to ensure they do not contain links or content that may be inappropriate.
Oxford High Frequency Word List http://www.oxfordwordlist.com/pages/search.asp and http://www.oxfordwordlist.com/pages/
Oxford Wordlist © Oxford University Press 2008 and Oxford Wordlist Plus © Oxford University Press 2010. The Oxford Wordlist and the Oxford Word List Plus may be
used for instructional purposes for students at school and at home. If you wish to use the Oxford Wordlists in any other way, you must seek permission from Oxford
University Press.
Wordle: http://www.wordle.net
Word Clouds: http://worditout.com
http://www.onelook.com Connects to a range of dictionaries and provides definitions, phrases, related words etc. Check first as some dictionaries may provide
examples that are inappropriate.
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=kid Useful for exploring word histories. Check links before use.
http://wordsmith.org Subscribe for free and receive a new word in your inbox every day. Words follow a theme each week.
http://verbivore.com/wordpress/ A site for the teacher. Loads of links to language and word sites.
http://www.thesaurus.com Online thesaurus
http://www.dictionary.com Online dictionary
http://www.visualthesaurus.com Provides think maps for words but requires an annual subscription.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 6
http://visuwords.com A visual dictionary and visual thesaurus.
Apps to explore
Many apps are just games using words in isolation and can be played without knowing the meaning of the words so the role in increasing spelling skills may be
limited. Using some of these apps at home may be useful to ‘have fun with words’ but they should not be considered an integral part of your spelling program.
Check the apps before use for appropriate content. Some contain advertisements.
Wordscapes-word puzzles
Word of the day- a new word on your phone daily
Spellmania-swipe over the letter tiles to spell words
Word Search Puzzles
Words With Friends
Word Connect-make words from letters given
Pictoword- making words from images given
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 7
APPENDIX 3: FORTNIGHTLY TEACHING PLAN
This plan is based on a fortnightly cycle. It is an example of organisation only and not a recommendation. The decision needs to be school based and implementation
should be consistent across the school so skills are developed year by year. This plan is based on the use of well-constructed lists as a basis for teaching (see Spelling
Handbook page 15), the use of Word Sorts and a variety of other strategies.
A cycle of instruction for word sorts might include the following:
▪ introduce the spelling pattern by choosing words for students to sort
▪ encourage students to discover the pattern in their reading and writing
▪ use reinforcement activities to help students relate this pattern to previously acquired word knowledge
Teachers then test students' pattern knowledge rather than their ability to memorise single words. For example, a teacher might have students work with twenty words
during a word study cycle and then randomly test students on ten of those words. For students studying the -at family, a teacher might include the word "vat" on the
spelling test even though it wasn't on the initial spelling list – this allows the teacher to see if students are able to transfer their knowledge of the "at" chunk to a new word
they haven't seen before.
To begin, organise a Word Book for all the students. Attach a zip lock bag for storing word sorts in the back of the book.
To begin plan a 2-week cycle and work with the whole class and teach the routines you wish to put in place.
Work this way for 3- 4 weeks with the whole class on the same list and sorts. It is essential to establish clearly understood routines before grouping. When the procedures
and routines are in place, use your assessment to begin working with 3 groups.
The draft two-week cycle below is flexible and can be modified but the key components must stay in place, particularly the assessment routines.
• Administer a spelling inventory to the class to determine each student’s stage of spelling development.
• Group students according to their stage of spelling development and provide appropriate differentiated instruction to each group (see suggestions below).
• Provide students with a “word sorting” activity where they are required to compare and contrast words and group the words according to the predominate spelling
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 8
pattern. The following is an example of a typical word sort: “match, reach, switch, coach, hitch, and teach can help students learn that the tch pattern typically follows a
short vowel and the ch pattern typically follows a long vowel” (Williams et al., 2009).
• Give students the opportunity to search for words with the same pattern in other contexts (in books or in their own writing).
• Use games and activities to reinforce the word pattern being addressed. Word searches, segmenting activities and letter and sound hunts are effective ways to engage
students in “word work.”
• Make a “word wall” in the classroom to keep a list of words and spelling patterns that have been studied. This should be referred to during Modelled Writing.
• Provide a variety of spelling assessment tasks to ensure that students have grasped the spelling pattern being investigated. The test should focus more on students’
knowledge of a spelling pattern as opposed to their ability to memorize a list of words. For this reason, teachers may only test students on half of the words they have
studied or present a new word that follows the same pattern to see if the student knowledge has been transferred.
Organisation Assessment
• Supply a ‘Word Book’ to all the students.
• Attach a zip lock bag for storing word sorts in the back of the book.
• Begin by working with the whole class to teach the routines you wish to put in
place and aim to move to a minimum of 3 groups.
Consider your classroom environment. Ensure the spelling related print reflects
current teaching. Ensure students interact purposefully to this print by using it
yourself-particularly in your daily modelled writing lesson.
• Use either the Primary or Elementary spelling inventory from Words Their Way.
• Collate the student data to observe spelling skills in use.
• Interpret the results with consideration to other observations (such as spelling in
writing) and class-based testing you have done and allocate a ‘stage’ for each
student to form 3 groups (the number of groups may need to increase once
routines are in place).
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 9
Fortnightly schedule
Week 1
Day 1
15 mins
- Select word sorts based on your assessment and students needs.
Begin with a whole class list and work towards differentiation when processes and routines are in place. This routine is designed for
three groups to operate.
- Present word sort list to all 3 groups (A, B and C), IWB, pocket charts while other groups work on their sorts.
- Students work in pairs to clarify word meanings (this will be done again with the teacher Days 2, 3 and 4).
- Students may work with a partner to do the initial sort. They cut up the words and move them around.
- The words are stored in their own zip lock bag.
Week 1
Day2: Group A
Day 3: Group B
Day 4: Group C
- Work with the group (A, B or C) while the other two groups are working independently) create a chart of the sorts after clarifying the
meanings of the words.
- The teacher controls the pen and writes the words as they are shared.
- Discuss when finished. Compare and contrast the lists.
- Begin by giving pattern headings or guiding the group to discover them.
- Students sort their words into the categories and when the sort is finished, they copy the lists into their Word Book.
Group work for students not with the teacher:
- speed sorts and speed harvests (don’t overdo speed sorts)
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 10
- practise their lists using a game or activity from the Spelling Handbook. Keep a focus on meaning.
- hunt words to fit the patterns. The words collected can be ‘harvested’ through reading and talking to others. They may also be
harvested from the student’s own writing. Regularly ask students what strategies they used to find words. Students must find the
meaning for words before listing them.
Week 1
Homework
Spelling list goes home on Monday-returned Friday fortnight
Maximum 10 words comprising:
- Word family (taken from word sort)
- Class work related (eg HSIE, Science)
- Common errors or ‘heavy duty’ words observed by the teacher as a problem eg said, because.
- Homework activities might include: a word hunt, sentences, defining words etc
Week 2
Day 1
Assessment ‘Read & Spell’
Teacher constructed proofreading activity using words from the word sort plus other ‘must spell’ words. Total words 6-10. See Appendix 4 for
details.
Week 2
Days 2 and 3
Students work in groups or independently depending on the tasks.
The teacher ‘roves’ and helps groups OR calls a group at a time to the floor for support.
- Share words harvested.
- Students control the pen and choose 4 of their words to add to the chart.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 11
- Inform students that the spelling test will contain some of those words plus another 1-2 from the chart.
Games - playing with words.
- Refer to relevant chapter in Words Their Way for games/activities plus the specific book related to the level at which your students
are working.
- Refer to IEA Curriculum and Spelling Handbook and use the activities listed.
Week 2
Day 4
Assessment
Vary spelling assessment using one of these one week, then another the following week, etc:
- Teacher test
- Dictation
- Peer test
- Performance tasks (see IEA Curriculum at relevant Year level and Spelling Teaching and Learning Activities)
Use some form of record to indicate where the student is succeeding and what they need to work on. Students should receive specific teacher
feedback and create specific achievable goals for the following week.
Tracking and
Monitoring
• Use either the Primary or Elementary spelling inventory from Words Their Way (depending on age) in February. Repeat in September.
Inventories can be found in the Appendices document.
• Collate the student data to observe spelling skills in use.
• Interpret the results with consideration to other observations (spelling when writing) and class-based testing you have done and allocate a
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 12
‘stage’ for each student to form 3 groups.
Ongoing assessment: Analyse data from the fortnightly Read and Spell and fortnightly spelling test/dictation to provide clear feedback to
students.
Ongoing monitoring: look for improvement in spelling when the students are writing. This needs to be monitored carefully to ensure the
approach is working.
Each term in all classes create a list of most misspelled words. Display these and make checking for them the first step in any proofreading
procedure.
Homework
If you choose to use spelling as homework it may consist of student sorts and optional activities. Each student should practice and study their pattern word sort each week.
Students will practice their sorts in school each day but will benefit from the reinforcement of practicing their sorts at home to learn and be able to use the patterns.
Possible activities might include:
- Cut out your word study cards. Use your cards to complete a minimum of one activity below. Keep your cards and this sheet at home to practice the pattern sort
to prepare for the spelling assessment.
- Sort the Words- You should read each word aloud during this activity. Find someone so you can explain why the words are sorted in a particular way. Sort them a
second time as fast as possible.
- No Peeking Sort- Lay down a word from each category as a header and then ask someone to read the rest of the words aloud to you. Your child will indicate
where the word goes without seeing the word. Repeat if you make a few mistakes.
- Word Hunt- Do a word hunt, looking for words in a familiar book that have the same sound, pattern or both. Try to find 2 or 3 for each category.
- Blind Writing Sort- As someone call the words in a random order while you write them into the sorting categories.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 13
APPENDIX 4: READ AND SPELL
Phase 1 Preparation
Keep a list of the kinds of the errors you observe in students’ writing over the week. Use the list to construct the proofreading activity. This requires the teacher writing a
short passage containing the errors that have been observed. This may be done by the teacher constructing the passage or using a piece of student writing and putting in
the errors that will become the focus of the lesson. A good proofreading activity reflects the spelling behaviours, which are observable in the classroom.
Note that this strategy should take place with a piece of meaningful teacher-constructed text, which is short and which contains very clear teaching points based on
assessment of student needs.
Phase 2 Check the passage you have constructed
Make sure the writing is as authentic as possible. The context in which spelling is demonstrated is important. Primarily spelling is a tool for writing.
When preparing the proofreading text make certain the proofreading errors are appropriate in kind and number for the students to experience success particularly in the
early phase of using this strategy. Too many errors will detract from the planned teaching points. Construct a piece of writing with between 6-10 errors. The ‘errors’
selected will have a specific point based on class or group needs. For example, you may want to focus on plurals, adding ‘s’, ‘ies’ or ‘es’. Later you can include punctuation
and grammar.
Phase 3 The Teaching Process
The teaching process can be a half hour lesson or 3 mini lessons as described below. It is important the students stay engaged. If staying engaged is difficult for your group,
opt for the three 10-minute sessions to keep the lesson short and focused.
Part 1: 10 minutes: Students proofread the piece and ‘have-a-go’ at the correct spelling. The teacher reads the passage and says:
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 14
I want you to listen and follow on your page while I read the text. Now I want you to read this passage carefully and look for any spelling errors. When you find an incorrect
spelling put a circle around that word and ‘have-a-go’ at spelling the word correctly. If you have any trouble reading any of the words just ask me.
Part 2: 10 minutes: Typically there will be 6-10 errors. Have volunteers come out and write the words identified as errors on the board. Begin with the first word.
Say: Do you think you know how to spell ‘different’? Can you write it on the whiteboard for me?
Check the spelling. If it is correct praise the student. If not, tick the letters that are correct and put a check mark on the letters and praise what is correct.
√ √ √ √ x √ √ √ √
d i f f i r e n t
Say: That is a great try but there is a letter that needs changing. Look at all the letters you got correct! Would you like to have another go or will we ask someone to help?
Once the word is correct then ask: How did you know how to spell that word?
This is the key to the activity. The goal is to have the student articulate how they got to the spelling of the word so that the other students see the range of strategies that
are available to them as opposed to just sounding out. In the early stages you may have to do some modeling to help the students develop the language to talk about their
spelling strategies. This will develop over time as you use this strategy. Gradually the students will become more articulate at describing the ‘strategies’ they use and the
other students will hear new strategies. The table below gives an example of the typical responses.
Typical student response Strategy in use
Word: beautiful
I knew beauty and that helped me with the beginning of beautiful.
Knowledge of words
Word: different Sounding out
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 15
I sounded different out or I used chunking Syllabification
Word: because
I looked on the word wall.
Reference to an authority
Word: principal
I knew a trick to spell principal. I knew there was a ‘pal’ in principal.
Use of a mnemonic
Word: receive
I knew the rule that there is an ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’.
Application of a rule
Word: there
I knew that ‘there’ is a homonym so I read the sentence the word was in.
Knowledge of language
Word: waste
I knew it had to be ‘waste’ not ‘waist’ for the sentence to make sense.
Using meaning of words
Students will often come up with unexpected ‘strategies’ and this will give the teacher an insight into the strategies a student is using and if they are stuck on one strategy
such as ‘sounding out’. It is effective to ask more than one child how they got to the spelling of the word but guard against the lesson dragging out.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 16
Part 3: 10 minutes: Look at the words again and ask the students to ‘classify’ or group the words. Remember there will only be 6-10 words but given you selected the
words you will have planned for this stage of the activity.
Say: Look at this list of words from our proofreading task. Can anyone see a pattern in the words or a way the classify them?
For example, a pattern might be a few words are contractions or some might involve adding ‘ed’ etc.
Once the words have been grouped or ‘classified’ the final step is to ask the students to refer to something they are writing and look for examples of the spelling patterns
discussed such as contractions or adding ‘ed’.
The last step of taking the students back to their writing is critical. This step must be completed as it is the link to the writing. The goal is to transfer this very
focused learning to the writing and it is important to make the link explicit.
From: Writing Instruction K-6: Process, Purpose, Audience, Turbill & Bean, 2006
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 17
APPENDIX 5: ASSESSABLE ASPECTS OF SPELLING
Queensland Studies Authority 2011, 2015
Spelling has two dimensions. The first is the expressive dimension that students engage in when they write (or type) words. There are two sub-elements to expression that
teachers can tap into when they assess spelling.
The first, conscious production, is what students know and can do when they are able to focus all of their cognitive resources on their spelling. They do this, for example,
when they are asked to write words in a dictation test, in class discussions or in spelling games.
Assessment of the spelling that students do correctly in expressive tasks and an analysis of their errors gives teachers focused information about which part of the English
orthography a student is currently learning. Identifying the aspects of spelling that students sometimes get right and sometimes get wrong will help teachers to identify the
‘teachable slot’ for individuals and even for groups of students.
The other element of expressive spelling is automatic generation, what students can do when they are focused on a writing task so that words are written without close
reflection on the spelling. Analysis of spelling-in-writing will give further insights into the internalised knowledge students have of the spelling system. Error analysis
together with observations and interviews can give insights into both the spelling and the strategic knowledge students possess.
The second spelling dimension that teachers can assess is that of recognition. This knowledge is used when students decode and study words during reading and
proofreading. Proofreading is a task with special teaching and assessing opportunities. To proofread, students need to have organised knowledge of the spelling system
that they can raise to a conscious level and combine with their knowledge of strategies to identify and correct erroneous spelling. Proofreading requires students to apply
their knowledge of the spelling system in ways that differ depending on whether they monitor and proofread their own spelling or the spelling of others. In proofreading
their own spelling, students need to learn to identify those aspects they are likely to have wrong and then to be able to select from a restricted set of options to correct it.
Proofreading the work of others requires knowledge of both the spelling system and the errors that are typically made by the general population.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 18
The State of Queensland (Queensland Studies Authority) 2011
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 19
APPENDIX 6: IMPLEMENTING SPELLING INCORPORATING WORD STUDY
Why incorporate Word Study instead of traditional spelling?
Research studies indicate that memorization of lists of "spelling words" does not promote the development of spelling skills. In the past when we’ve used this
traditional approach of "everyone gets the same weekly list and test on Friday", many students who got a 100% on their spelling test could not spell most of the
words in their writing. Memorizing a list of words and getting 100% on weekly tests does not necessarily mean the student is a good speller. It may just mean
they are good at memorising words for a test.
The purpose of a word study approach is to support students’ spelling development and help them gain an in-depth understanding of English orthography. A
word study approach also has the potential to improve students’ reading and writing skills.
Word study is a child-centered approach to spelling instruction that teaches students to recognise and understand patterns in words, as opposed to relying only
on memorisation. There are several resources available that are designed to support teachers as they implement a word study approach in their classroom. For
example, Words Their Way provides instruction techniques, word lists and examples of word study games and activities. Students participating in a word study
program are actively involved in the process of discovering spelling patterns and examining the alphabetic, pattern and meaning layers of English words. The
alphabetic layer focuses on the connection between specific letters and sounds. The pattern layer involves common groupings of letters, and the meaning layer
addresses how the spelling of a word is often directly related to its meaning.
Build Word Knowledge
Graphophonic Knowledge Syntactic Knowledge Semantic knowledge
Sound and visual appearance of words eg Grammatical function and syntax of words eg Meaning and origin of words eg prefixes and suffixes as
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 20
consonant sounds verb endings they relate to base words
Developmental Scales
Less difficult More difficult
Knowledge of frequently used words Knowledge of less common words
Knowledge of single vowels (eg cat) Knowledge of vowels pairs (eg beach)
Knowledge of rhyming relationships (eg tent,
sent)
Knowledge of derivational relationships (eg sign,
signal)
Recognition of word patterns Recognition of word origins
Playing with words (word games) Making plays on words (puns)
Words sorts involve students using their graphological, phonological and word knowledge to group words in a variety of ways. As well as sorting students should
be encouraged to ‘hunt’ for words when they are reading that belong to the categories being studied. The teacher should display word charts illustrating examples
of the different patterns studied and encourage students to add to the charts when hunting. Students might also keep word study notebook to record the known
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 21
patterns and their new understandings about words. Do not accept nonsense words when brainstorming the word lists and playing with sounds and words.
Meaning is always the key. Always pause and make sure you discuss the words on the list.
Word Study: A New Approach to Teaching Spelling : Diane Henry Leipzig (2000)
"Word study" is an alternative to traditional spelling instruction. It is based on learning word patterns rather than memorizing unconnected words. This article
describes the word study approach.
How do you teach spelling words?
Many teachers teach spelling by giving students a list on Monday and a test on Friday with practice in between.
This type of drill and practice has earned traditional spelling instruction a reputation for being boring. That there is no big picture and no ultimate goal makes it all
the more tedious – as soon as one spelling list is tested, another list takes its place.
Luckily, there is an alternative to traditional spelling instruction called "Word Study" which is not based on the random memorization of words. A word study
program is a cohesive approach that addresses word recognition, vocabulary, and phonics as well as spelling (Zutell, 1992).
What is word study?
Word study provides students with opportunities to investigate and understand the patterns in words. Knowledge of these patterns means that students needn't
learn to spell one word at a time.
Take, for example, the difference between "hard c" (as in cat) and "soft c" (as in cell). After collecting many words containing the letter "c," students discover that
"c" is usually hard when followed by consonants (as in clue and crayon) and the vowels "a," "o," and "u" (as in cat, cot, and cut). In contrast, "c" is usually soft when
followed by "i", "e," and "y" (as in circus, celery, and cycle).
Of course, for every rule there are exceptions that threaten the rule. Students learn, though, that spelling patterns exist and that these patterns help to explain how
to spell, read, and write words.
Word study is also designed to build word knowledge that can be applied to both reading and spelling (Henderson, 1992; Zutell, 1998). Because it is closely tied to
reading instruction, it also develops students' abilities in phonics, word recognition, and vocabulary (Baker, 2000).
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 22
How is word study taught?
There are distinct stages in students' spelling development (Henderson, 1981). Students at different stages attend to and represent different features in their
spelling (Templeton, 1991).
Word study is based on the notion that where a student is in his or her spelling development, that knowledge can serve as a guide for instruction. At the start of a
word study program, teachers use a spelling inventory to determine which stage of spelling development each student is at and then groups students for
instruction (Bear, et al., 2000). Once groups are created, teachers develop "differential instruction" based on the stage of development each group of students has
achieved (Bear & Barone, 1989).
Instruction has to be deliberately sequenced by the teacher so students will get instruction that will propel their development. Teachers select a group of words
that demonstrate a particular spelling pattern and sequence these patterns to match children's development (Templeton, 1991). Because the pace of children's
progression through the stages varies, rarely would all the students in a class be studying the same list of words (Barnes, 1986).
To implement word study effectively, teachers and students alike must become word detectives, engaged in an ongoing attempt to make sense of word patterns
and their relationships to one another. Spelling "rules" are not dictated by the teacher for students to memorise. rather, spelling patterns and generalizations are
discovered by students.
Teaching strategies
In word study, teachers encourage students to compare and contrast features in words. One common method for doing so is by having students sort words. When
sorting, students use their word knowledge to separate examples that go together from those that don't.
In addition to sorting, students may hunt for words in their reading and writing that fit the pattern being studied, may construct a word wall illustrating examples
of the different patterns studied, may keep a word study notebook to record the known patterns and their new understandings about words, or may play games
and activities to apply their word knowledge (Bear et al., 2000).
A cycle of instruction for word study might include the following:
introduce the spelling pattern by choosing words for students to sort
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 23
encourage students to discover the pattern in their reading and writing
use reinforcement activities to help students relate this pattern to previously acquired word knowledge
Teachers then test students' pattern knowledge rather than their ability to memorise single words. For example, a teacher might have students work with twenty
words during a word study cycle and then randomly test students on ten of those words. For students studying the -at family, a teacher might include the word
"vat" on the spelling test even though it wasn't on the initial spelling list – this allows the teacher to see if students are able to transfer their knowledge of the "at"
chunk to a new word they haven't seen before.
References:
Baker, L. (2000). Building the word-level foundation for engaged reading. Engaging young readers: Promoting achievement and motivation. New York: Guilford
Press.
Barnes, W. G. (1986). Word sorting: The cultivation of rules for spelling in English. Reading Psychology, 10, 293-307.
Bear, D. R., & Barone, D. (1989). Using children’s spellings to group for word study and directed reading in the primary classroom. Reading Psychology, 10, 275-
292.
Bear, D. R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2000). Words their way: Word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-
Hall.
Henderson, E. H. (1992). The interface of lexical competence and knowledge of written words. In S. Templeton, & D. R. Bear (Eds.), Development of orthographic
knowledge and foundations of literacy: A memorial festschrift for Edmund H. Henderson. (p. 1-30). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Henderson, E. H. (1981). Learning to read and spell: The child’s knowledge of words. DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois Press.
Templeton, S. (1991). Teaching and learning the English spelling system: Reconceptualizing method and purpose. Elementary School Journal, 92, 185-201.
Templeton, S., & Morris, D. (1999). Questions teachers ask about spelling. Reading Research Quarterly, 34, 102-112.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 24
Zutell, J. (1998). Word sorting: A developmental spelling approach to word study for delayed readers. Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning
Difficulties, 14, 219-238.
Zutell, J. (1992). An integrated view of word knowledge: Correlational studies of the relationships among spelling, reading, and conceptual development. In S.
Templeton & D. Bear (Eds.), Development of orthographic knowledge and the foundations of literacy: A memorial festschrift for Edmund H. Henderson. (p. 213-
230). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Adapted and excerpted from: Leipzig, D. H. (2000). The Knowledge Base for Word Study: What Teachers Need to Know. Scientific Studies of Reading, 11(2), 105-
131.
http://www.literacyconnections.com/WordsTheirWay.php
To what extent has research shown Word Study to be useful?
Research on the “Words Their Way: Words Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling” instructional guides reveals that the spelling inventories or tests used in
this specific word study program are reliable and valid predictors of students’ individual achievement (Sterbinsky, 2007). Classroom based research conducted in
grades K-2 demonstrates that a word study approach is an effective way to improve students’ spelling (Williams et al., 2009). Classroom studies at the Elementary
level highlight word sorting as an effective teaching strategy, yielding higher spelling scores when compared to other spelling instruction methods (Zutell, 1998). A
study looking at the impact of a word study approach on Kindergarten children’s journal writing revealed that the approach did influence students’ writing, and
that “all 12 focal students used at least some of the words, concepts and strategies as they wrote self-selected messages in their journals” (Williams & Hufnagel,
2005).
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 25
APPENDIX 7: GLOSSARY OF SPELLING TERMS
Alphabetic principle: An assumption underlying alphabetic writing systems that speech sounds are represented by letters.
Background Knowledge: Forming connections between the text and the information and experiences of the reader.
Base Word: A unit of meaning that can stand alone as a whole word (e.g., friend, pig). Also called a free morpheme.
Blending: The task of combining sounds rapidly, to accurately represent the word.
Blended Word: A word formed from portions of two words e.g. smog = smoke + fog. The meaning of a blended word is also a combination of the meaning of the
two words it came from.
Consonant: A speech sound made by partial or complete blockage of the breath, A letter of the alphabet representing any of these sounds.
Chunking: A decoding strategy for breaking words into manageable parts (e.g., /yes /ter/ day). Chunking also refers to the process of dividing a sentence into
smaller phrases where pauses might occur naturally (e.g., When the sun appeared after the storm, / the newly fallen snow /shimmered like diamonds).
Decoding: The ability to translate a word from print to speech, usually by employing knowledge of sound symbol correspondences; also the act of deciphering a
new word by sounding it out.
Derivative: An English word or portion of a word derived from other languages such as Greek, Latin, or Old French.
Diagnostic: Tests that can be used to measure a variety of reading, language, or cognitive skills. Although they can be given as soon as a screening test indicates a
child is behind in reading growth, they will usually be given only if a child fails to make adequate progress after being given extra help in learning to read. They are
designed to provide a more precise and detailed picture of the full range of a child’s knowledge and skill so that instruction can be more precisely planned.
Digraph: Two or more letters that represent one speech sound – e.g., the vowel digraphs eigh and ai and the consonant diagraphs th and ch.
Diphthong: A vowel sound created by combining two vowel sounds, such as in buy.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 26
Differentiated Instruction: Matching instruction to meet the different needs of learners in a given classroom.
Direct Instruction: The teacher defines and teaches a concept, guides students through its application, and arranges for extended guided practice until mastery is
achieved.
Direct Vocabulary Instruction: Planned instruction to pre-teach new, important, and difficult words to ensure the quantity and quality of exposures to words that
students will encounter in their reading.
Eponym: A word derived from the name of a person, a place, or an institution, e.g.; pasteurization, after Louis Pasteur.
Explicit: Explicit instruction involves direct explanation. The teacher’s language is concise, specific, and related to the objective. Another characteristic of explicit
instruction is a visible instructional approach which includes a high level of teacher/student interaction. Explicit instruction means that the actions of the teacher
are clear, unambiguous, direct, and visible. This makes it clear what the students are to do and learn. Nothing is left to guess work.
Flexible Grouping: Grouping students according to shared instructional needs and abilities and regrouping as their instructional needs change. Group size and
allocated instructional time may vary among groups.
Guided Practice: Students practice newly learned skills with the teacher providing prompts and feedback.
High-Frequency Words: Words used often in reading and writing
Homographs: Words that sound different, but are spelt the same and have different meanings e.g.; minute (time) and minu/te table (small)
Homonyms: Words that sound the same and are spelt the same, but have different meanings e.g.; table (furniture) and table (math)
Homophones: Words that sound the same but are spelt differently and have different meanings e.g.; hear and here.
Implicit Instruction: The opposite of explicit instruction. Students discover skills and concepts instead of being explicitly taught. For example, the teacher writes a
list of words on the board that begin with the letter “m” (mud, milk, meal, and mattress) and asks the students how the words are similar. The teacher elicits from
the students that the letter “m” stands for the sound you hear at the beginning of the words.
Indirect Vocabulary Instruction: Words learned through independent reading and conversation.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 27
Informal Assessment: Does not follow prescribed rules for administration and scoring and has not undergone technical scrutiny for reliability and validity.
Teacher-made tests, end-of-unit tests, and running records are all examples of informal assessment.
Invented Spelling: An attempt to spell a word based on a student’s knowledge of the spelling system and how it works (e.g., kt for cat).
Irregular Words: Words that contain letters that stray from the most common sound pronunciation; words that do not follow common phonic patterns (e.g., were,
was, laugh, been).
Metacognition: An awareness of one’s own thinking processes and how they work. The process of consciously thinking about one’s learning or reading while
actually being engaged in learning or reading. Metacognitive strategies can be taught to students; good readers use metacognitive strategies to think about and
have control over their reading.
Modeling: Teacher overtly demonstrates a strategy, skill, or concept that students will be learning.
Morphemes: There are three kinds of morphemes
- a free morpheme stands by itself, it is a word eg elephant, student, play
- a bound morpheme is an affix added to a free morpheme to change its meaning eg adding s or es to indicate more than one; ed indicating past tense
- a non-word morpheme links meaning in the word where it occurs eg auto means self; automatic, autocrat, autograph
Objectives: Measurable statements detailing the desired accomplishments of a program.
Onset: The consonant or consonants preceding the vowel in a syllable, E.g.; ple, /l/ in look.
Phoneme: The smallest sound unit of spoken language. E.g.; the word telephone has seven phonemes: /t/-/e/-/l/-/e/-/f/-/o/-/n/.
Phonemic Awareness: Awareness of the separate sounds in words.
Phonic Strategy: Using the sound-letter relationships in words when attempting to spell.
Phonics: Letter-sound correspondences in a language.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 28
Phonological Awareness: The ability to hear and manipulate sound units in the language, such as syllables, onsets and rimes, and individual sounds in words
(phonemes).
Phonology: The study of speech sounds and their functions in language.
Prefix: An affix attached before a base word that changes the meaning of the base word.
Pacing: The pace of a lesson should move briskly, but not so fast as to rush students beyond their ability to answer correctly. The purposes for a fast pace are to
help students pay close attention to the material being presented and provide students more practice time which increases the opportunity for greater student
achievement, keeps students actively engaged, and reduces behavior management problems by keeping students on-task.
Prior Knowledge: Refers to schema, the knowledge and experience that readers bring to the text.
Rime: The first vowel and any following consonants or vowels of a syllable e.g.; /ook/ in look.
Schwa: In English, the midcentral vowel in an unstressed syllable. e.g.; /a/ in above, and /u/ in industry.
Scaffolding: Refers to the support that is given to students in order for them to arrive at the correct answer. This support may occur as immediate, specific
feedback that a teacher offers during student practice. For instance, the assistance the teacher offers may include giving encouragement or cues, breaking the
problem down into smaller steps, using a graphic organizer, or providing an example. Scaffolding may be embedded in the features of the instructional design such
as starting with simpler skills and building progressively to more difficult skills. Providing the student temporary instructional support assists them in achieving
what they could not otherwise have done alone.
Sight Words: These are words that are recognized immediately. Sometimes sight words are thought to be irregular, or high frequency words (e.g., the Dolch and
Fry lists). However, any word that is recognised automatically is a sight word. These words may be phonetically regular or irregular.
Spelling Patterns: A group of letters representing a sound, including groups of letters, such as ould and ear, and diagraphs.
Systematic Instruction: A carefully planned sequence for instruction, similar to a builder’s blueprint for a house. A blueprint is carefully thought out and designed
before building materials are gathered and construction begins. The plan for instruction that is systematic is carefully thought out, strategic, and designed before
activities and lessons are planned. Instruction is across the five components (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension). For
systematic instruction, lessons build on previously taught information, from simple to complex.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 29
Suffix: An affix attached to the end of a base word that changes the meaning or grammatical function of the word.
Superlative Form: Form of an adjective or adverb used to compose more than two items.
Syllable: The smallest unit of sequential speech sounds consisting of either a vowel sound or a vowel sound with one or more consonant sounds.
Visual Strategy: Using the visual relationships between words when attempting to spell unfamiliar words, E.g.; knowing that the spelling pattern eigh represents
the /ay/ sound in eight when attempting to spell the word weigh.
Vowel: A voiced speech sound made without stoppage or friction of the air flow as it passes through the vocal tract, and a letter of the alphabet representing any of
these sounds: The letters A, E, I, O, U,
Think-Alouds: During shared read aloud, teachers reveal their thinking processes by verbalizing: connections, questions, inferences, and predictions.
Vocabulary: Refers to all of the words of our language. One must know words to communicate effectively. Vocabulary is important to reading comprehension
because readers cannot understand what they are reading without knowing what most of the words mean. Vocabulary development refers to stored information
about the meanings and pronunciation of words necessary for communication. Four types of vocabulary include listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Word Family: A group of words related in meaning. Words in a word family might be derived from the same base word and have different prefixes and/or suffixes
added to it. E.g.; the word replays is derived from the base word play; the prefix re and the suffix s have been added to form a new word related in meaning to the
base word, play. Compound words may also be part of a word family. E.g.; the words playground and playpen are related in meaning to the word play. Other word
families may be based on derivatives. e.g.; the words photographer and telephoto are related in meaning to derivative photo.
Word Learning Strategies: Strategies students use to learn words such as: decoding, analyzing meaningful parts of words, using analogy, using context clues,
using a dictionary (student friendly definitions), glossary, or otherresources.
Word Parts: Letters, onsets, rimes, syllables that, when combined, result in words. The ability to recognize various word parts in multisyllabic words is beneficial
in decoding unfamiliar words.
Words sorts involve students using their graphological, phonological and word knowledge to group words in a variety of ways. As well as sorting students should
be encouraged to ‘hunt’ for words when they are reading that belong to the categories being studied. The teacher should display word charts illustrating examples
of the different patterns studied and encourage students to add to the charts when hunting. Students might also keep word study notebook to record the known
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 30
patterns and their new understandings about words. Do not accept nonsense words when brainstorming the word lists and playing with sounds and words.
Meaning is always the key. Always pause and make sure you discuss the words on the list.
Word Study: The act of deliberately investigating words (e.g., vocabulary-building exercises, word-identification practice, and spelling).
Writing Vocabulary: Words that a student might use while writing.
Glossary of Terms are from various sources including the Australian Curriculum.
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 31
APPENDIX 8: PROOFREADING GUIDES
Proofreading Symbols – Prep
Mark Meaning Example
change to a capital
port Moresby children ask thoughtful questions.
add punctuation mark
Port Moresbys children ask thoughtful questions
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 32
Proofreading Symbols – Years 1 and 2
Mark Meaning Example
change to a capital
port Moresby’s children ask thoughtful questions.
add punctuation mark
Port Moresbys children ask thoughtful questions
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 33
check spelling
Port Moresby’s children arks thoughtful
questions.
arks
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 34
Proofreading Symbols – Years 3 and 4
Mark Meaning Example
change to a capital
port Moresby’s children ask thoughtful questions.
add punctuation mark
Port Moresbys children ask thoughtful questions
check spelling
Port Moresby’s children thoughtful questions.
ark
s
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 35
add a letter or a word
ask
Port Moresby’s children thoughtful questions.
start a new paragraph
After that……
Proofreading Symbols – Year 5 and 6
Mark Meaning Example
change to a capital
port Moresby’s children ask thoughtful questions.
change into lower case
Port Moresby’s Children ask thoughtful questions.
add punctuation mark
Port Moresbys children ask thoughtful questions
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 37
check spelling
Port Moresby’s children arsk thoughtful questions.
add a letter or a word
ask
Port Moresby’s children thoughtful questions.
start a new paragraph
After that……
This doesn’t make sense Port Moresby’s children ask thoughtful.
arkks
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 38
APPENDIX 9: WORDS THEIR WAY INVENTORIES
WORDS THEIR WAY ELEMENTARY SPELLING INVENTORY FEATURE GUIDE
Student ________________________________ Teacher ____________________________ Grade____________ Date______________
Words Spelled Correctly: ____ / 25 Feature Points: ____ / 62 Total_______/ 87 Spelling Stage _________________________________
Stages and
gradations
→
Emergent Letter Name
Late Early Middle Late
Within Word Pattern
Early Middle
Late
Syllables and Affixes
Early Middle Late
Derivational Relations
Early Middle
Feature
Points Words
Spelled
Correctly Features
→
↓Words
Consonants
Begin. Final
Short
Vowels
Digraphs Blends Long
Vowels
Other
Vowels
Inflecte
d
Endings
Syllable
Junctures
Unaccent
ed Final
Syllables
Harder
Suffixes
Bases or
Roots
1. bed b d e
2. ship p i sh
3. when e wh
4. lump l u mp
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 39
5. float t fl oa
6. train n tr ai
7. place pl a-e
8. drive v dr i-e
9. bright br igh
10. shopping o sh pping
11. spoil sp oi
12. serving er ving
13. chewed ch ew ed
14. carries ar ies rr
15. marched ch ar ed
16. shower sh ow er
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 40
17. bottle tt le
18. favor v or
19. ripen p en
20. cellar ll ar
21. pleasure ure pleas
22. fortunate or ate fortun
23. confident ent confid
24. civilize ize civil
25. opposition tion pos
Totals /7 /5 /6 /7 /5 /7 /5 /5 /5 /5 /5 /62 /25
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 41
WORDS THEIR WAY PRIMARY SPELLING INVENTORY FEATURE GUIDE
Student ________________________________ Teacher ____________________________ Grade____________ Date______________
Words Spelled Correctly: ____ / 26 Feature Points: ____ / 56 Total_______/ 82 Spelling Stage _________________________________
Stages and
gradations
→
Emergent Letter Name - Alphabetic
Late Early Middle Late
Within Word Pattern
Early Middle Late
Syllables &
Affixes
Feature
Points
Words
Spelled
Correctly Features →
↓Words
Beginning
Consonants
Final
Consonants
Short
Vowels
Digraphs
Blends Long Vowel
Patterns
Other
Vowels
Inflected
Endings
1. fan f n a
2. pet p t e
3. dig d g i
4. rob r b o
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 42
5. hope h p o-e
6. wait w t ai
7. gum g m u
8. sled e sl
9. stick i st
10. shine sh i-e
11. dream dr ea
12. blade bl a-e
13. coach -ch oa
14. fright fr igh
15. chewed ch ew -ed
16. crawl cr aw
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 43
17. wishes -sh -es
18. thorn th or
19. shouted sh ou -ed
20. spoil oi
21. growl ow
22. third th ir
23. camped -ed
24. tries tr -ies
25. clapping -pping
26. riding -ding
Totals /7 /7 /7 /7 / 7 / 7 / 7 /7 /56 /26
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 44
Words Their Way Upper Spelling Inventory Feature Guide
Student _____________________ Teacher __________________ Grade _______ Date _________________
Words Spelled Correctly: ___ / 31 Feature Points: ___ / 68 Total____/ 99 Spelling Stage ____________________
Stages and
gradations →
Within Word Pattern Syllables and Affixes Derivational Relations
Early Middle Late Early Middle Late Early Middle Late
Feature Points
Words Spelled
Correctly
Features →
↓Words
Digra
phs &
Blend
s Vowels
Complex
Conso-
nants
Inflected
Endings &
Syllable
Juncture
Unaccen-
ted Final
Syllables Affixes
Reduced
Vowels in
Unaccented
Syllables
Greek and
Latin
Elements Assimila-ted
Prefixes
1. switch sw i tch
2. smudge sm u dge
3. trapped tr pp
4. scrape a-e scr
5. knotted o kn tt
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 45
6. shaving sh e-drop
7. squirt ir squ
8. pounce ou ce
9. scratches a tch es
10. crater cr t er
11. sailor ai or
12. village ll age
13. disloyal oy al dis
14. tunnel nn el
15. humour m our
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 46
16. confidence con fid
17. fortunate ate fortun
18. visible ible vis
19.
circumference
ence circum
20. civilization liz civil
21. monarchy arch
22. dominance ance min
23. correspond res rr
24. illiterate ate ll
IEA Spelling Support Document Appendices 47
56. emphasize size pha
26. opposition pos pp
27. chlorine ine chlor
28. commotion tion mm
29. medicinal al medic
30. irresponsible ible res rr
31. succession sion cc
Totals /5 /9 /7 /8 /9 /10 /7 /7 /6 /68 / 31