WORDS THEIR WAY
Words Their Way is the SPELLING program I will be utilizing in my class. Words Their Way word study program focuses on students learning features of words that can be applied more broadly to their reading and writing. These features include beginning letter sounds, long and short vowel sounds, blends (sl, st, bl, dr), and word families (-at, -an, -op).
Your child will be bringing home a collection of words (pictures and/or words) on a weekly basis that has been introduced in class. Each night of the week your child is expected to do a different activity to ensure that these words and the features they represent are mastered. These activities have been modeled and practiced in school, so your child can teach you how to do them. Please complete these activities in the composition book nightly and return it every day. These activities should only take 10 minutes or less. Have fun and enjoy!!
Homework Assignments for words their way:
Monday – Sorting
Have your child sort the words (pictures) according to their features. After sorting, write the words in the composition book in columns according to their features. ***For picture sorting activities, please help your child to spell the name of the picture. This will let us know that your child has practiced the sort.
Example: If your child’s feature is beginning sounds B and C your child will write the feature on top and the spelling words below.
B C
Ball Cat
Bat Can
Bag Cap
Tuesday – Buddy Sort
Your child will need a “buddy” (parent, older sibling, or other family member) to complete this sort. The buddy will hold the words and call them out to your child. Your child will have to tell the buddy which feature the words belong to.
Example: Buddy says “bat”
Your child says, “Begins with b”
Buddy says, “Cat”
Your child says, “Begins with c”
You may also write the features down on a piece of paper and when the buddy says the word your child may point to the matching feature.
Please write the date and sign your name in the folder to let us know that you completed the buddy sort.
Wednesday – Writing Sentences
Assist your child in writing sentences at the beginning of the year. Each sentence should contain 1 of the words from the sort. September through December the expectation is that each child will have completed 5-8 sentences for homework. January through May the expectation is that each child will have completed 10-15 sentences for homework.
Thursday – “No peeking/blind” sort or Speed Sort
“No peeking/blind” sort - Your child will write words underneath the correct features as you call out the words. This is a practice review for their word study test on Friday. Once your child writes all of the words, you can check to see how many they got correct. Please write your signature beside your child’s “No peeking/blind” sort.
Example: Before you begin, have your child write the features at the top of the page in the spelling/word study folder. Then your child will write the words you say under the correct features.
**If your child has a picture sort, your child may place the picture under the correct feature.**
Thursday - Speed Sort
Have your child mix all of the cards up in a pile – leaving the features at the top. Set a kitchen timer for 3 minutes and on your mark have the child sort the placing them under the correct feature. Have them mix up and repeat with 2 minutes, and then with 1 minute. This is a race to see if they can correctly sort into the features and beat their own time. To show that this activity has been completed just write the date and sign your name.
Friday – NO HOMEWORK!!
We will glue down the sort in the classroom and the students will take their word study test so there will be no homework.
Thank you for your support. Together we can help your child make valuable progress.
Words Their Way is the SPELLING program I will be utilizing in my class. Words Their Way word study program focuses on students learning features of words that can be applied more broadly to their reading and writing. These features include beginning letter sounds, long and short vowel sounds, blends (sl, st, bl, dr), and word families (-at, -an, -op).
Your child will be bringing home a collection of words (pictures and/or words) on a weekly basis that has been introduced in class. Each night of the week your child is expected to do a different activity to ensure that these words and the features they represent are mastered. These activities have been modeled and practiced in school, so your child can teach you how to do them. Please complete these activities in the composition book nightly and return it every day. These activities should only take 10 minutes or less. Have fun and enjoy!!
Homework Assignments for words their way:
Monday – Sorting
Have your child sort the words (pictures) according to their features. After sorting, write the words in the composition book in columns according to their features. ***For picture sorting activities, please help your child to spell the name of the picture. This will let us know that your child has practiced the sort.
Example: If your child’s feature is beginning sounds B and C your child will write the feature on top and the spelling words below.
B C
Ball Cat
Bat Can
Bag Cap
Tuesday – Buddy Sort
Your child will need a “buddy” (parent, older sibling, or other family member) to complete this sort. The buddy will hold the words and call them out to your child. Your child will have to tell the buddy which feature the words belong to.
Example: Buddy says “bat”
Your child says, “Begins with b”
Buddy says, “Cat”
Your child says, “Begins with c”
You may also write the features down on a piece of paper and when the buddy says the word your child may point to the matching feature.
Please write the date and sign your name in the folder to let us know that you completed the buddy sort.
Wednesday – Writing Sentences
Assist your child in writing sentences at the beginning of the year. Each sentence should contain 1 of the words from the sort. September through December the expectation is that each child will have completed 5-8 sentences for homework. January through May the expectation is that each child will have completed 10-15 sentences for homework.
Thursday – “No peeking/blind” sort or Speed Sort
“No peeking/blind” sort - Your child will write words underneath the correct features as you call out the words. This is a practice review for their word study test on Friday. Once your child writes all of the words, you can check to see how many they got correct. Please write your signature beside your child’s “No peeking/blind” sort.
Example: Before you begin, have your child write the features at the top of the page in the spelling/word study folder. Then your child will write the words you say under the correct features.
**If your child has a picture sort, your child may place the picture under the correct feature.**
Thursday - Speed Sort
Have your child mix all of the cards up in a pile – leaving the features at the top. Set a kitchen timer for 3 minutes and on your mark have the child sort the placing them under the correct feature. Have them mix up and repeat with 2 minutes, and then with 1 minute. This is a race to see if they can correctly sort into the features and beat their own time. To show that this activity has been completed just write the date and sign your name.
Friday – NO HOMEWORK!!
We will glue down the sort in the classroom and the students will take their word study test so there will be no homework.
Thank you for your support. Together we can help your child make valuable progress.