Word Study: Why & How

Carla K. Meyer&

Nora VinesRE 4030

Appalachian State University

Brief History• Since the mid 1800’s memorization has been at the heart of

spelling ‘instruction’.• During the 1800’s (and for some even today) “adults believed

repetition and drill were the most appropriate approaches for teaching and learning.”

• 1900-1950: Behaviorism…extrinsic motivation “Thus learners were required to write spelling words multiple

times to encourage memorization of the lists. Posttest on Friday documented the success of each learner to reproduce the word. Teachers and students desired scores of 100%. Since the end goal was a perfect performance on the posttest, teachers could only hope that students would independently apply knowledge of the words to their writings. What’s wrong here?

Continued…• 1950-1970: Constructivism…Dewey, Vygotsky,

Piaget.• “The student does not passively take in

knowledge, but actively constructs it on the basis of his/her prior knowledge and experiences.”

• Developmental Stages• “While characteristics of each stage are similar,

the construction of knowledge in individuals can vary based on experience.” How does this apply to spelling?

The Study

• What have previous studies (discussed in this text) revealed about teacher concerns?

Methodology• Use of Survey• Four Areas of Focus: Demographics,

Institutional Program, Theoretical Statements, Open-ended Section

• The focus of this text is the Open-ended Section which included,

1. Major Instructional Concerns2. Problems for Students3. Other Issues of Concern

Major Instructional Concerns

Problems for Students

Other Issues of Concern

Interesting…Very Interesting…• “I’m not sure that direct instruction in spelling is

beneficial to most students. Spelling seems to an inate (sic) talent. You are either good at it or not. In my experience, I haven’t been able to teach a poor speller to be a good speller. I focus on strategies to identify misspelled words and ways to find correct spellings.” Thoughts, comments, reactions?

• 49% of teachers surveyed “agree or strongly agree that students should be grouped by developmental level (yet only 27% most of the time or always group by ability). Thoughts, comments, reactions?

Discussion• According to this article, how is spelling

instruction being delivered in many classrooms?• Why is this method still being utilized?• What about incentives, i.e. cookies and pizza

parties?• What does research tell us?• What are some of the professional concerns

discussed here? • What are your thoughts, feelings, and/or

reactions to this article?

Some Things to Think About…

• “Dewey did not deny that human learners can be given information by their teachers. But unless the learner had struggled personally with an issue, the information was likely to be committed to memory in a rather lifeless of mechanical way. He called this “static, cold-storage” knowledge, and he reasserted that unless the student had the opportunity to use the information in problem solving and action it was sterile: “information severed from thoughtful action is dead, a mind crushing load.”

And More…

• “Finding ways to have students “problem-solve” and “struggle personally” with the patterns and rules of the English language may provide them with strategies for continued access of new words.”

• This is word study!!

Word Study

• The beginning of T.S. Watt’s poem “Brush Up Your English”

I take it you already knowOf tough and bough and cough and

doughOthers may stumble but not youOn hiccough, thorough, tough and

through

Why aren’t words spelled like they sound?

1. Alphabet layer• Straightforward to matching of letter sound relationships• mat nip drink

2. Pattern Layer• Provides information the sounds that a pattern of letters

make within a syllable• Scrap (CVC) Scrape (CVCe)

• Appalachian church developmental

3. Meaning Layer• Provides information through the consistent spelling of

meaning elements within words.• please pleasant pleasure• condemn condemnation condemning

How do students learn to spell?

• Learning to spell moves from the concrete to the conceptual.

• Learning to spell is developmental(i.e. alphabet layer pattern layer meaning layer)

• Learning to spell involves explicit examination of words outside of reading and writing.

How should spelling words be selected and organized?

• Words must be developmentally appropriate.• Reflect spelling features students use but confuse.• Once students move to pattern layer, words

should be organized around patterns.• For younger children (k-2) spelling words should

be reading sight words.*• For older students (3+) most spelling words should

be familiar but some new words are okay.

How do I assess students’ developmental spelling levels?

• Spelling may be assessed by administering qualitative spelling inventories– A series of graded lists with approximately 10

words (Schlagal)– Or single a single list organized by developmental

level

We will be using a series of lists.

What types of instructional activities work best?

• Spelling should be a combination of explicit examination of words and writing/reading.– Accurate automatized knowledge of basic spelling

patterns is at the hear of skilled reading (Adams, 1990; Perfetti, 1992).

• Instruction that encourages examination of words.– Let’s take a look.

What type of spelling strategies should be taught?

• Spelling by analogy.– Think of a word that is similar in sound or meaning.• Sound

– The unknown word is strain but the student know rain.– The word is nature– the student does not know

nature, but knows picture.• Meaning

– The unknown word is opposition (many students spell it oppisition) but the student knows oppose.

• Like all strategies this must be modeled.

How do I assess the students are progressing?

• Give spelling inventories. Beginning and end of year.

• Weekly pretest and test.

Should I allow invented spelling?

• Your thoughts?

What should spelling look like in my classroom?

• Spelling: 15 minutes per day– No spelling homework!– Start with at least 2 groups…do it well, then add more!

• Monday: COLD pretest: students write missed words 3x each (on spelling test papers). IF they score less than 50% it’s too hard!– 50-80% is instructional.

• Tuesday: Closed sort in partners; can do this on white boards, chart paper, SmartBoard, etc.

• Wednesday: Individual sort; draw sort with headers in notebook or on paper; complete a Word Hunt through book, reading independently and add to sort.

• Thursday: Blind Sort: teacher provides headers and calls out spelling words for students to sort in the correct column.

• Friday: Spelling Test: call out words “Yellow 1; Red 1; Blue 1”. Students write down their spelling words and if they wish to write other words, write them on the back of the paper.

Final Thoughts

• “Improving spelling performance must begin with changing spelling instruction.”

• That’s why we are all here, to be change agents for spelling instructional practices.

TO DO

• Continue working on MultiText• Look for email over the break with new

Tentative Schedule and upcoming assignments