Words Their Way

This week, we began our routines for Words Their Way. In September I assessed students with a spelling inventory to determine spelling groups. There are several different groups in the room, however all students will learn the routines and activities together. On Mondays during Writing Workshop time, I will meet with each small group on the rug and introduce their new word sort. We talk about the spelling patterns/word families in the sort, and match the words or pictures in the correct columns together. Then, students will go back to their seats and practice their sort independently. Their sorts will be practiced all week, and it is an activity that stays in the Word Work center for literacy center time as well.  We will be learning activities such as blind sort, blind writing sort, speed sort, and open sort in the coming weeks. They will also have a sort notebook in which they will do various writing activities such as "word hunts" in which they are finding words in books that go with their spelling sort for the week. Soon I will send home their weekly sort to practice with an adult as homework. I assess students with the assessments in the Words Their Way program that come up at the end of different units every few weeks, this will help me to determine whether they need more practice or can move ahead. We will also do another formal assessment in January. Here are some pictures of students sorting their words and pictures.