1. Class Profile
      2. Determining Jessica’s Needs
      3. A Model Plan for Instruction 
      4. A Frame for Planning Instruction 
      5. A Visual Representation
    1. Between Session Activity
      1. My Action Plan
    2. Personal Reflection
      1. Key Points for Me
    3. Final Remarks
      1. A Final Quote to Ponder




Stage-Appropriate Word Study

Orientation to the Session

5 min.
Session 4 focuses on grouping, analyzing, and planning word work instruction using the assessment and evaluation data from
Session 3.
 

 
 
 

  Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   


Group Sharing & Reflection

20 min.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

  Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Summary of Stages & Characteristics  

Notes:

Pre-Literate 
1.
Pretend Writing: marks on page; scribbling follows conventional direction; then includes some symbols or known letters.
   		  
Early
Letter-Name 
2.
Syllabic Writing: predominant sounds are represented by one letter  		  
   
3.
Beginning Writing: beginning and ending sounds
  		 
Letter-Name 
4.
Beginning and ending consonants plus a vowel in each word (but not always the correct vowel). Leaves pre-nasals out (i.e. m’s & n’s).  		  
5.
Uses consonant blends (e.g. dr) and digraphs (e.g. sh) 		 
6.
Short vowels spelled correctly
Includes preconsonant nasals
  		 
Within Word Pattern 
7.
Uses and experiments with long vowels  		  
8.
Spells common single-syllable long vowels correctly, confuses less common ones. Spells most consonant blends & digraphs correctly. 		 
9.
Spells long vowels, consonant blends and digraphs correctly in one syllable words, but gets confused by multi-syllabic words  		  
Summary of Stages & Characteristics cont.  

Notes:

Syllable Juncture 
10.
Spells two-syllable words with common inflections correctly (e.g. -ed, -ing), but confuses consonant doubling + e-drop, and common Latin suffixes.  		  
11.
Doubles consonants, drops e correctly and common Latin suffixes. 		 
12.
Confuses less frequent prefixes and suffixes
Spells the root by sound or common pattern, not realizing link to derivation
  		 
Derivational Constancy 
13.
Realize that there is an interaction between spelling patterns (orthography) meaning (morphology) and sounds-in-words (phonology), and that meaning has increasing power. Can spell words with obvious link to derivation.  		  
14.
Can spell words with not so obvious link to derivation. Can spell prefixes and suffixes. Uses knowledge of Greek and Latin roots to spell scientific and medical terms. 		 
15.
Knows some words are foreign, have interesting etymologies (e.g. brand-names, eponyms‒derived for a name or institution‒while others are acronyms, shortened or blended words. Can spell most common words correctly.
   		  


 
Setting Session Purpose

5 min.

Recap of the Course To Date:

Where We’ve Been

In Session One we explored where phonics fits in relation to reading and writing.

In Session Two, we looked closely at an instructional frame, Word Study, within which to teach phonics starting and ending with assessment.

In Session Three, we focused on assessment techniques which enable teachers to determine students’ ability to apply their knowledge of phonics to the processes of reading and writing.

Where We’re Going

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Input: Modeling the Planning Process

30 min.

 

Grouping from Class Profile

The OHT has just part of the complete profile which can be found on the next page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

  • Note the synchrony between reading levels and stages of othographic knowledge, except for Joe and Jessica. Perhaps their visual memory is carrying them.
  • What different activities do you think they need compared to the other students who are in the same spelling stage?
  Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 


Class Profile


Class Profile
 
 

 
NAME 		 
SPELLING STAGE
  		 
READING
LEVEL
  		 
PHONEMIC AWARENESS
  		 
WRITING VOCABULARY
 
   
Within Word Pattern 		 
Developing 		 
x/63 		 
# of words
Rachael 9
22 +
63
103
Rory 9
22 +
63
85
Jessica 8-9
20
63
61
Kristina 8-9
20
63
64
Ezra 8-9
20
62
51
Amanpreet 7-8
20
60
52
   
Letter Name
  		 
Fluent 		   
Ray 5
16
61
66
Azusa 6
16
60
58
Nicholas 5-6
16
60
61
James 6-7
16
60
65
Vivian 5-6
16
61
66
Katie 5-6
16
60
62
Wei 5
16
59
80
Matthew 5
16
58
63
  Early
Letter Name
  		Early (End)    
Joe [3]
[12]
59
60
Jill [3-4]
[12]
60
86
    Early (Beginning)    
Allan [3]
[6]
[47]
[32]
Kyle [3]
[6]
[46]
[38]
Sewesen [3]
[5-6]
[46]
[33]
David [3]
[5-6]
[44]
[29]

 
 
 
[ ] means below grade level exit standards

 
 

Analyzing Competencies & Needs

OHT 4.5: Determining Jessica’s Needs outlines the essence of the complete form which can be found on the next page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using the characteristics of the Within Word Pattern Stage of spelling, following is a list of Jessica’s current behavior and learning needs.

Note:

Jessica is also using long vowel patterns in two-syllable words: painter, walking, which are beyond this stage. There is no evidence of Jessica using the e-drop pattern which is characteristic of this stage.

  Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Determining Jessica’s Needs


Determining Jessica’s Needs
 

What Jessica . . .
. . . does correctly
. . . uses but confuses
. . . is not yet using
Initial & final consonants:
mad, that, off, want  		 Long vowel markers: beches / beaches Consonant doubling: 
poping, stoped  
Consonant blends & digraphs: 
play, that, cash  		    
Regular short vowel patterns:
sad, bun, will, sell, on 		   
Preconsonant nasals:
end, grandma, bump, want 		   
Good accuracy on r-controlled single syllable short vowel words: bird, Gorden    
Some infrequently used short vowels: live, city 
& frequently used long vowel words:
feet, three, made, play, boys  		    
All of the above plus: Long vowel markers:
beches / beaches 		 
Slightly more than half of the long vowel words in single syllable words: Consonant patterns:
there / their 		 
  Inventive substitutions in frequent unstressed syllable patterns: closit / closet, Rusha / Russia  
All of the above plus single syllable long vowel words:
rake, grow, float, chase, train 		Multi-syllable long vowel words
Low frequency long vowel words: erupe / Europe 		Consonant doubling:
poping / popping,   
May know some common suffixes:
inspecshn / inspection 		-ed and other common inflections: stats / states, 
askd / asked
playin / playing  		 e-drop:
  Represents some common Latin suffixes phonetically:
inspecshn / inspection
   		  


 
 
 

Planning Instruction from Identified Needs

OHT 4.6: A Frame for Planning Instruction lists the headings from the complete plan, which can be found on the next page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Can you notice the connections between the plans and the list of needs?
  • Keep in mind the need to contextualize and connect word work. Remember the “whole-part-whole” flow introduced in the second session.
  • Given that the other children in Jessica’s group scored in the same range, you could use these plans for her whole group.
  Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A Model Plan for Instruction 


A Model Plan for Instruction  
 

Reading Aloud

Read books aloud to the class that focus on verbs, e.g. “Add It Dip It Fix It” by R.M. Schneider (Houghton Mifflin), and the first ten or eleven pages of Ruth Heller’s “Kites Sail High” (Sandcastle Books) ­ the rest of the book is too complicated for first-graders.

 
 
 

Shared or Interactive Writing
 

  • Innovate on the two “verb” books that you read aloud and have the children help you to rewrite them so that they tell “what happened yesterday” or “what is happening now,” e.g. Innovations on “Add It Dip It Fix It” would then begin with: “We added it, boxed it, etc..” or “We are adding it, boxing it, etc.”

 
 

 

Independent Writing: One-On-One Conference
  • Schedule an individual conference with Jessica to discuss her writing, paying particular attention to her spelling of words with long vowels and common inflectional endings (-s, -ed, -ing).
  • Revisit Jessica’s writing and assessment samples with her, and point out two or three things she is doing correctly, e.g. spelling several one-syllable long-vowel words correctly: rake, grow, float, chase, train. 
  • Congratulate her on spelling several two-syllable long-vowel words correctly, e.g. painter and walking, explaining that two-syllable words are harder to spell than one-syllable words.
  • Tell her that she is on track and that the next spelling challenge for her is “words with endings that change what they mean.” Show her that she spelled “walking” correctly (in her writing sample about what she wants to be when she grows up). Explain that this word has two parts: the main or root word “walk,” plus an ending
    “-ing.” Ask her if she has ever seen other words that are based on “walk” that have different endings, like “walked” or “walks.” Explain how the ending changes the meaning.
  • Turn to Jessica’s Writing Vocabulary Assessment and show how she was trying to write “playing” when she wrote “playin” and “played” when she wrote “playd.” Explain that these endings work the same way as “walk,” “walking” and “walks.” Suggest that she look out for words with these endings when she reads.

Writing Mini-Lesson

Focus on Word Ending “-ed”

  • Bring together a group of children at a similar stage of orthographic development as Jessica and help them to realize that most past tense endings are spelled “-ed.”
  • Point out the function of “action words” (i.e. past tense verbs) usually end in “-ed.”
  • Do a small-group interactive writing exercise which records something the group experienced in the past, e.g. a description of a field trip. The more this relates to your total curriculum, the better.

 
Writing Mini-Lesson cont.
  • Ask students to identify “doing-words” (verbs) that tell what people did. Ask what most of these “doing words” (verbs) have in common. Suggest that if students can find these kinds of words in this passage , they can probably find the same kinds of words in their own writing and check to see if they have used the “-ed” ending.
  • Help students to find the past tense verbs they misspelled in their own writing and suggest that they correct their own spelling.

Word Study Activities
  • Organize for Jessica to play “The Train Station Game” (Activity 7-7, page 259 of the course textbook) or “The Race Track Game” (Activity 7-6, page 262) which help students acquire automaticity with common long vowel patterns.

Consider having Jessica join a more advanced group that does “Spelling ‘ed’ and ‘t’ endings” (Activity 8-8, page 314). This may be a stretch, but she may be able to cope with it.

Guided Reading Lesson

  • During Jessica’s small group guided reading lessons, explain to the students how authors let readers know whether this story or event takes place in the present, past or future. This will mean focusing on verbs and their inflectional endings.

Independent Reading

  • Ensure that Jessica continues to read books at her independent level for ten to fifteen minutes every day. This ensures exposure to conventional spellings of the kinds of words she is using but confusing in her writing.

Add easier titles to her collection of books that can be read independently and have repeated examples of verbs with the inflectional endings -s, -ed, -ing. Most stories are written in the past tense, so they will contain lots of -ed words. Also include books written in the present tense, e.g, “Fishing Off the Wharf” or “The Big Surprise” (Learning Media Literacy) for immersion in -s and -ing verbs.


 

Workshop: Planning Appropriate Instruction

 

OHT 4.7: Planning Appropriate Instruction suggests groups of students, and their assessed stage of development. Your job is to plan appropriate word study instruction.

Refer to the model provided as well as the relevant Chapter in Words Their Way.

Use the Frame provided on the next few page to record your group’s suggestions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 		   Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A Frame for Planning Instruction 


A Frame for Planning Instruction  
 

Reading Aloud
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Shared or Interactive Writing
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 

Independent Writing: One-On-One Conference

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

Writing Mini-Lesson
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 



 
 
Word Study Activities
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Guided Reading Lesson
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Independent Reading
 
 
 
 
 



 
Making Connections

10 min.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

  • Remember to
  1. contextualize and connect word study instruction
  2. limit it to 10 minutes a day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A Visual Representation


A Visual Representation
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   


 


Between Session Activity


Between Session Activity

5 min.
 
 


My Action Plan


My Action Plan


 


Personal Reflection


Personal Reflection

10 min.
 
 


Key Points for Me


Key Points for Me
 

 
 

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Final Remarks


Final Remarks

5 min.
 
 


A Final Quote to Ponder


A Final Quote to Ponder
 

 
 

“If students are not doing plenty of reading, all of the word study in the world will not help.” Bear et al p. 248


 
 
 

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