My Weekly Word Study Routine

Let’s be honest, how many times in your own schooling did you find yourself cramming information for an exam only to forget all of it after the test was over?!  I know I did it more times than I’d like to admit! 

As teachers we don’t impart knowledge just to have students regurgitate it on a test.  We want them to internalize the information we teach, to build upon it and use it to help them as they grow and develop.  

This idea is particularly true when it comes to how we now teach students to spell.  Instead of just giving them weekly lists to memorize, there is a greater emphasis on word study which helps students to see the regularities, patterns, and derivations in English words — how words work in our writing system. This is important information that students can help students when they read and write.  

Today I’m excited to share with you the successful word study program I have used in my 1st grade classroom.  It’s a program that has helped them to grow as spellers, readers and writers! You’ll get a peek into what each day of the week looks like and have the opportunity to grab resources that you can put to use immediately in your very own classroom! 

It should be noted that there is some debate over whether spelling lists should be individualized for each student or if the whole class should be given the same list.  My school supports the idea of the whole 1st grade class learning the same phonetic spelling patterns at the same time. I am comfortable with this because I know I differentiate my instruction throughout the day in many other ways.  I also offer extra word study support using Elkonin boxes and provide extension activities to those who need more of a challenge.  

So let’s take a look at what a week of Word Study looks like in my classroom….

Monday 

On Monday I gather the students in the rug area and introduce that week’s pattern or rule. This is a longer lesson that lasts about 15 minutes.  

We focus on 1-2 word families or spelling patterns each week. For example, if studying long A we would examine patterns with _ay and _ai_.  I would teach that _ay is found at the end of a word with the long a sound, while _ai_ is a vowel team that makes the long A sound in the middle of a word. As I teach the words, I sort and display the spelling word cards using a word study pocket chart. 

It is helpful to have a word list with a bank of words that follow that week’s rule for you to reference.  You can find word lists included in my Vowel Anchor charts

or in the comprehensive word study book, The Next Step Forward in Word Study and Phonics by Jan Richardson.  

These Vowel Anchor Charts reference posters are a necessary tool that we refer to often. I’ve found it best to hang them with push pins on the wall so I can easily take them up and down and also give students a copy to keep in their Writer’s Workshop folder for independent writing.

After I’ve finished introducing the new spelling pattern, students use the Trace and Write worksheets for independent practice. The words on this worksheet become the spelling words for the week.  The worksheets are sent home to be used for practice throughout the week.  

Tuesday and Wednesday

During a typical week, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays word study looks very similar. Instruction lasts about 10 minutes.  We start with a little bit of whole group practice on the carpet. Each student has their own dry erase marker and whiteboard and I have my word list with me for reference.  I briefly review and model the rule of the week with a few practice words. We sort them, if applicable.   

For example, if the focus is on the long A word pattern, I call out words from our spelling list AND words that follow the pattern but are not on our list.  This gives students the chance to apply their understanding of the rule to new words. I also make sure to include challenge words that follow the pattern.  Words like “display” and “portray” excite higher-level students and gives all the opportunity to take risks without having to worry about making mistakes.  

On Wednesday I repeat the whole group practice but also try to weave in some grammar practice.  For instance, if we were studying proper nouns along with the long A, I might give them a sentence like, “Jay is on the big gray train.” and have the students identify the proper nouns.  

Thursday 

Thursday is Dictation Day!  It’s an interactive whole group activity that my kids LOVE!  I project a blank dictation page on the board while students sit at their seats. I read a word aloud, they echo me and then write it. I then call on a student to ask students to tell me what they wrote and how they knew what to write, eliciting them to state the rule.   I also make sure to include some words from previous weeks as a form of review. This lasts about 15 minutes.  

You could do this activity in many ways, here is how we do our weekly dictation…

• Row 1- Sounds only. I say a sound, they echo and write the sound they hear. 
• Row 2- Phoneme manipulation activities. Ex: I say “train, now delete the /t/ from the word then write the new word.” Or I say the word  “wait” and then say, “Now change the beginning to make the word bait”.
• Row 3 & 4- I dictate and they write spelling words or challenge words using the rule of the week. 
• Row 5- I dictate a sentence using spelling words and they write it.

Friday

Friday is assessment day.  I love this assessment because it is not just a test of dictated words that can be memorized.  Instead, students have to show they have a clear understanding of the spelling rule. This assessment requires students not only to spell the words on their weekly list, but also to apply their knowledge to new words, edit spelling mistakes in a sentence, as well as read and illustrate a spelling sentence. As an extra challenge, I include “Star Words” which are not on the weekly word list but follow the word study rule.

More Opportunities for Spelling Practice

I don’t limit my spelling and word work practice to the lessons described above!  At least once a week during centers students will visit the spelling center AND word work center for more practice.  

Wondering what sort of activities to include in your centers??  Take a look at this post where I shared a ton of FREE Spelling Activities you can put to use right away! 

Fun flaps and CVC word builders are also great word work activities that students LOVE!!  It’s also worth checking out websites like spellingcity.com that may require a membership but offers a ton of word lists and useful spelling activities and resources.  

In a perfect world, the weekly routine I’ve described above would be enough to ensure your whole class masters the orthographic patterns they need to be successful readers and writers, but we know nothing is ever one-size-fits-all.  For students who have difficulty with phonemic awareness or need extra support, I recommend the use of Elkonin Boxes. Take a look at this post for more information about this powerful strategy for supporting struggling students!

Finally, I know that while you may be feeling eager to start a spelling program in your classroom, the thought of figuring out what rules to teach and deciding on word lists can be totally overwhelming!  I know, I’ve been there!  

To help you out I have created YEAR-LONG SPELLING BUNDLES for grades K-3!  In each bundle you’ll find an entire year’s worth of weekly spelling word lists and activities, word list cards you can use to display or sort, AND weekly assessments! It’s everything you need to get a successful spelling program up and running in your classroom today!  

I hope the information and resources I’ve shared with you today will make it a little easier for you to provide meaningful word study and spelling instruction to your students!  It’s valuable knowledge that they’ll carry with them and use as they grow as readers and writers! 

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