Each test will occur every other Friday.
You may notice your child getting credit for misspelled words. In some of the beginning stages of spelling, the tests are only to check for the specific pattern. For example, a test on digraphs may count “chez” correct for the word “cheese”. The correct spelling will be noted for your child, but they will get a point for the correct pattern. This does not occur in the later stages.
Your children have taken a spelling inventory assessment that has helped me to put them into groups based on their individual spelling needs.It is important that students are learning and using the patterns daily. Simply memorizing the list will not help them to apply the pattern to other unknown words.
Spelling is reflected on the report card in terms of spelling in isolation and in their writing. Therefore it is very important that they gain an understanding of words and their patterns.
I will be sending home 1 sort every other week. Those are their spelling words. Please practice the sorts each night following the rule on top of the page. If you would like extra activities to do with your child please see them below. The activities in green, your child can do alone. The activities in orange, they will need a partner.
Challenging Spelling Activities
Draw and Label- draw and label pictures of things that have your spelling rule.
Magazine Hunt- write the headings on the top of your spelling journal. Look through magazine's to find words that go with your spelling rule. Cut them out and glue them into the correct sort for the spelling pattern.
Word Hunt- read and look through books to find your spelling pattern. Write the word down in the correct sort for the spelling pattern.
Writing Sorts- record your word sort in your Spelling Journal by writing them in columns. At the bottom of your sort reflect on what you learned in that particular sort and write observations about the spelling of certain sounds.
Building Words/Word O- change the onset to create other words familiar in the sort. For example, the rhyme is at, you change the first letter or onset c for cat, h for hat. Another part of this activity is changing one letter in the word to make a new word. For example, change the beginning sound cat to mat, change and ending sound mad to mat or even change the middle sound drive to drove.
Word Recognition (with a partner) - each student will take turns holding up the words and practices saying the words to build word recognition.
Spelling (with a partner)- each student will either hold up a picture for the other student to write out on dry erase boards or tell them the word and the other student will write it down on the dry erase board. Underline the part of the word that matches the spelling partner. Double check you are using the correct spelling pattern.Homophone Collection- look through your words and see if they have a homophone that goes with it. For example, pair goes with pear tree. Write and illustrate using 3-5 words the matching homophone.Word Hunt Poster- same as regular Word Hunt but this time make a poster that has your rule stated on top and the words that go with the rule below. Similar to the charts we make as a class.
Funny Story- pick 5 to 8 of the words to write a funny story. Use your crayons to write your spelling words.
Spelling (with a partner)- each student will either hold up a picture for the other student to write out on dry erase boards or tell them the word and the other student will write it down on the dry erase board. Underline the part of the word that matches the spelling partner. Double check you are using the correct spelling pattern.Homophone Collection- look through your words and see if they have a homophone that goes with it. For example, pair goes with pear tree. Write and illustrate using 3-5 words the matching homophone.Word Hunt Poster- same as regular Word Hunt but this time make a poster that has your rule stated on top and the words that go with the rule below. Similar to the charts we make as a class.
Funny Story- pick 5 to 8 of the words to write a funny story. Use your crayons to write your spelling words.
Blind Sort Writing (with a partner)- same as No Peeking but this time you write the words in the correct column as they are being called out. Make sure at the top of your paper you write the key words for the sort. After the word has been written the partner immediately puts the word down under the correct column to check for correctness. Partners need to take turns writing in their own journal.
No Peeking (with a partner) - lay out all the headers or rules on your desk or floor. One student reads aloud the word without showing it. The other student indicates what category based on sound and points to the header. The word is then laid down immediately to check for accuracy. Go through all the words to complete the sort.
