Words Their Way (A Spelling and Word Study Program)
The following information should help you to know more about words their way homework. Along with Home Reading (HR) Students should be following the blog instructions for WthW homework nights. WthW homework should take 10-15 minutes.Every week or so your child will be coming home with a new set of words for his/her weekly spelling. For some of the sorts your child will need your help.
The big emphasis is learning about spelling patterns or rules and oddballs (exceptions to the rule). The students practice sorting words into pattern groups, explaining the patterns, and looking for other words that fit the pattern. We are presently working on the long vowels.
At the end of the 4 day cycle there is a Dictation. I will save the Dictations (tests) and send them home for perusal. Home practice of incorrectly spelled words is recommended.
When you receive a new list of words in your child's planner we will be studying those words for approximately 5 days. Choose a different sort to do each day.
1. Sound and Sight Sort - sort the words while saying each word out loud
2. Speed Sort - sort as fast as you can
3. Mix and Fix - after sorting the words, parent swaps five words into different columns, child figures out what is mixed up and fixes it.
4. Hidden Sort -
oral - parent calls out word, child points to which header the word should go under
written - parent sets up a page with headers at top and calls out word then child writes word in under the correct headers. (to add variety it might be more fun to use a whiteboard, felts, stickies...)
