Word Study

This school year, we adopted a new reading program.  We adopted Wonders from Mcgraw Hill.  I was on the committee that selected this program.  I was very surprised by some of the "curriculum" that was submitted for us to review.  It was clearly not written by someone who had ever been in the classroom.  Other submissions, we not too bad.  In the end, the district went with Wonders.  And here we are.

If you are familiar with Wonders, there are quite a bit of components to it.  This post is going to focus on spelling/word study specifically and how I have implemented it into my classroom.

Each week, students will get one page back-to-back.  This can be done whole class, in a center, small group, or independently.  In the beginning, we did this whole group, so that students could learn the routines and expectations.  Now students know that when we transition, to get started on it.  I walk around and do a spot check throughout the week.  As the skills get harder (less review), I may pull them into whole group on Day 1 to ensure they understand the skill.  In addition to this worksheet, I do mini-lessons.

Each page has the core spelling words.  The weekly skill is labeled each week.   Students need to know the skill and be able to identify the spelling pattern so that they can use it outside the spelling test.

Day one is usually some sort of word sort so that students can identify the spelling patterns.  I make them underline the pattern in each word and the spell it aloud as they write it in the correct column.

Day 2 is usually matching definitions to the words.

Day 3 is a fill in the blank so that students can gain contextual meaning of the words.

Day 4 is an editing day to reinforce the correct spelling in context.

Day 5 should be the spelling test, so there is no word study that day.

People ask me why I labeled it by days and not Monday through Friday.  I started the year by labeling it Monday though Friday, but then we had a holiday and it confused the students.  If the students know what day in the cycle we are one, they can see what section we are working on.  In addition, it lines up with our small group worksheet that I will have to share in a future post.

Even if you do not use Wonders, how do you teach spelling/word study?

Grab my Wonders Word Study in my TPT store.  I have it broken down by units (5 weeks each) or the full year (6 units of 5 weeks each).  Wonder's does not do spelling in the 6th week of the unit.  This would be a good time to review spelling skills that were taught within that unit.

3rd Grade Word Study {Unit 1}

3rd Grade Word Study {Unit 2}

3rd Grade Word Study {Unit 3}

3rd Grade Word Study {Unit 4}

3rd Grade Word Study {Unit 5}

3rd Grade Word Study {Unit 6}

3rd Grade Word Study {BUNDLE}