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If you are teaching in upper elementary and have advanced students, chances are good that you have students at the derivational relations spelling stage. At this stage, word study is all about vocabulary. These kids are ready for deep word learning activities that ignite a thirst for more. In this post, teaching ideas for students spelling at the derivational relations stage are shared.

word study for Derivational Relations Students?

Have you ever wondered why spelling seems so boring for students and teachers? If you think about it, learning to spell words in and of itself isn't that exciting. If all you do is memorize the words, look them up in the dictionary, and put them in sentences, then you have it wrong! Why are these practices still used in classrooms when we know they aren't effective. They lead to low engagement and short term retention.

Motivation is the secret ingredient to long term learning. If we keep learning active and fun, student motivation increases. Word study instruction can and should be active even at the derivational relations stage! As we teach students to analyze words, we build a natural curiosity for deeper understanding.

If you've been following my word study series, then you probably see the need for change in spelling instruction. The more we make word study into a game-like activity, the more engaged students are in the learning process. As students engage in word play activities, they learn to spell words. However, they also use this knowledge for decoding in reading and writing. As fascination with learning new words expands, improved vocabulary deepens comprehension.

In today's post, I'm going to focus on the final stage of word study, derivational relations. This stage begins at or around 5th grade. Kids at this stage demonstrate these reader characteristics:

READ FLUENTLY

COMPREHEND WELL

WRITE EXTENDED AMOUNTS WITH RICH VOCABULARY, VARIED SENTENCES, AND ELABORATION

WITH WORD LEARNING, THEY FOCUS ON MEANING AND GROWTH OF VOCABULARY USAGE

WHAT THE DERIVATIONAL RELATIONS STAGE LOOKS LIKE

Since students continue work with multi-syllabic words, the derivational relations stage is really an extension of the syllable juncture stage. Students delve into Greek and Latin roots, complex prefixes and suffixes, explore silent letters, and use derivations. As you can see, the key in this stage is on meaning and usage as students observe slight changes in spellings.

TEACHING DERIVATIONAL RELATIONS GROUPS

To begin, you really want to focus on meaning first with this stage and clearly explain the roots of the words you include in your sorts. By studying related forms or demonstrating how the words share the same origin or derivation, students solidify how the words are used differently.

Silent/Sounded Consonants

With some words, letters that are silent are sounded in derivations. For instance, in the word sign, the /g/ is silent. When you make the word signal, you notice that the /g/ becomes sounded. Of course, there are many other examples. Ironically, once students have completed sorts for this feature, they begin to use words that have the sounded letters to help them spell those with silent.

Vowel Alternations

Once students understand the connection between silent and sounded consonants, they see how the shift in sounded can also happen with vowels. Many words that come from the same root change in sound when new words are derived. For example, crime is related to the word, criminal, right? Of course, you notice that the vowel shifts from a long sound to a short sound. As a result, knowing the root,, helps you know that criminal is spelled crim. In addition to long to short vowel alternations, students study long vowels to the schwa sounds and short vowels to the schwa sounds too.

Greek and Latin Word Elements

At the middle of the DR stage, students really dig into Greek and Latin roots and all of the words derived from them. As you likely know, there are so many different prefixes and suffixes to include. Due to the vast numbers, this part of the curriculum takes a long time to fully *know* and *apply*. To get an idea of what's included, here is a partial list. Can you see how intense this part is? The content is something we do not want to and should not rush. Our students will apply what they learn in future science studies, foreign language, and even in medicine.

Greek Prefixes

Greek Roots
tele therm photo astr
Latin Roots
tract spect port dict rupt scrib
Latin and Greek Prefixes
inter intra super counter ex fore post pro co/com/consil sub pre anti demi semi quad pent
Greek Suffixes
crat/cracy emia ician ine ism/ist logy/logist pathy/path phobia
Spelling Changes in Consonants and Vowels

The last section of the derivational relations stage explores how consonants and vowels change when suffixes are added. Again, modeling with studies of the root word first and then the derivations. For example, the word permit (root) becomes permiss when ion is added. We also study words that end with /t/ and how they change when a suffix that starts with the /sh/ sound is added.

Here are example words:

1. /t/ to /sh/-permit-permission, transmit-transmission

2. /t/ to /s/-silent-silence

3. /d/ to /zh/-explode-explosion, erode-erosion

4. /sh/ to /s/-ferocious-ferocity, precocious-precocity

5. Long to Short-vain-vanity, receive-reception

Other topics included in this section are:

-able/ible -ant/ance, ent/ence consonant doubling and accents, and

Absorbed Prefixes

ACTIVITIES TO USE FOR derivational relations students

Since the focus for derivational relations spellers is on meaning, the type of activities have this focus too. Naturally, the basis of word study is still on sorting. However, the analysis is going to shift to patterns at the syllable junctures or where the prefix and suffix is added. Plus, students also determine how the meaning changes. Here are a few ideas you might use/include:

Vocabulary Notebooks-As new words are included in sorts, they can be added to vocabulary notebooks too. In the notebooks, students can include kid friendly definitions, new words they come across in reading, sample sentences showing how words are used, drawings, and derivations of the words they add.

Boxing/highlighting spelling changes in words, sorting, and writing of the sorts.

Posters that connect roots to the words formed from them (word webs)

Games such as Greek and Latin Root Jeopardy or I Have, Who Has.

Graffiti Walls where students add new words they've discovered through reading.

WOW Word Wall...add words to it to expose students at other spelling stages to the meaning of the words and encourage DR spellers to use them in writing.

Group words by how they're used...building or construction words, speaking/writing words, travel words, words that show movement, etc.

Dictionary word hunts (notice that I say hunts versus copying definitions), and

Frayer Model...take words and look more deeply at what they are/aren't, look like, and how they're used.

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

Word study is a spiraling curriculum. We are always looking back to previous learning to build on new skills or understandings. As you think about what's been learned by the DR speller, you realize just how much time and effort has gone into the knowledge these kids have. They began years ago with recognition of a few letters. They've learned letters and sounds, blends, consonant digraphs, short vowels, long vowels, about Bossy R and L controlled vowels, complex consonants, syllable junctures, prefixes, suffixes, homonyms, compound words, and now Greek and Latin Roots.

As you can see, there are MANY learning targets in this stage. If today's post doesn't hit your students' needs, you can revisit the previous posts to learn more.

For other Word Study posts, click on the links below:

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8+ Simple Activities for Derivational Relations

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If you are teaching in upper elementary and have advanced students, chances are good that you have students at the derivational relations spelling stage. At this stage, word study is all about vocabulary. These kids are ready for deep word learning activities that ignite a thirst for more.

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Words Their Way for Within Word Pattern Spellers

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You don't have to be a teacher to want to laugh at how bizarre the English language can be. But if you are a teacher, your laughter may turn to tears the next time one of your students mixes up the homophones "two," "to," and "too."

Most of us learned that the English language is made up of rules and when a word doesn't follow rules it's called irregular. But this approach can be frustrating to both teachers and students alike.

Is it "c-a-t" or "k-a-t?" If <k> represents the /k/ sound, then why does "know" start with the /n/ sound?

We know how strongly you want to shout "just because!" when you receive a question like this. But the truth is, any time you answer with "because that's the way it is," you risk sending the message that your student isn't smart enough to catch up or that their curiosity to just too much. Most importantly, you might not be helping students for whom sounding it out is just not working, setting them up to feel like bad readers.

That's where structured word inquiry (SWI) can help. Using these guidelines, you can bring basic word inquiry into your elementary school classroom to ignite your students' curiosity and prepare yourself for the next time someone utters that dreaded "why?"

First Things First: Structured Word Inquiry Foundations

There are a few essential guidelines to remember when planning your word inquiry activities.

Good questions guide the way.

One of the neatest things about SWI is that children are learning through asking and answering their own questions, helping them master the scientific method without even realizing it. See how this second grade teacher helps her students develop, then explore, their theories.

Letters have more than one job.

Word inquiry can be complex, but it has simple building blocks. One fundamental understanding kids need to know is that letters have more than one job. Sometimes their job is to make sounds, but those sounds are not always the same. Sometimes, letters don't even make a sound, but their job is important nonetheless. Which brings us to understanding number three ...

The English language is spelled according to meaning, NOT sound

One of the first lessons children learn is that words are spelled based on how they sound. But any five-year-old is smart enough to call our bluff. If this were actually true, "nose" and "knows" would be spelled the same, and "car" could be spelled "kar," no problem.

In English, the reason words are spelled the way they are is primarily about meaning and only secondarily about sound. Some letters don't even make a sound, but their presence adds important etymological markers that signify meaning. For example, "two" is related to "twin," "twenty," "twice," etc. Without the <w> in "two," how would we know it's referring to a numeric value?

Graphemes and Phonemes

When you want to incorporate SWI into your classroom, one of the first ways to start is to use the terms "grapheme" and "phoneme" and teach your students to know the difference. In English, one phoneme (or, more simply, sound) can be represented by more than one grapheme. The difference in writing them is that graphemes use <> symbols and phonemes use //. For example, the /k/ phoneme can be represented with a "hard" <c> or <k> grapheme. Think: "cat" and "kite." Same initial phoneme, different graphemes. This goes for digraphs and trigraphs, too. The "long i" phoneme (/ī/) can be represented with <i> like in "mind" or the <igh> trigraph like in "sigh." Seems confusing? Watch how this first-grade teacher invites his students to investigate graphemes.

Overwhelmed? Don't be. Bear with us and try out SWI in your classroom with these simple and fun ways to begin:

1. Cultivate curiosity with a wonder word wall.

Making mistakes is not fun for anyone, especially new spellers. But it shouldn't be scary to ask questions! Celebrate risk-taking and help your students find the answers to their ambitious questions with a wonder word wall, like the one this second grade teacher uses.

2. Go on a phoneme hunt.

After introducing simple sounds, like long vowels, for example, go for a walk. Have students write (with assistance, if necessary) a list of things they see that contain that sound. For example, on a long E hunt, students might see a tr ee, the number thr ee, a b ee, the s ea, a k ey, a p each, the color gr een, a bab y. Once you are back in the classroom, write down every object and make a list of all the ways the /ē/ phoneme can be spelled. You'll even surprise yourself!

3. Teach students to spell prefixes and suffixes as one unit.

If students get used to seeing prefixes and suffixes isolated, they will learn to identify base words more easily. This can be helpful for some dyslexic learners, who often benefit from thinking of words in chunks or parts, rather than a series of tiny letters. For example, the word "transition" is less scary when it is thought of as transit + ion. Most students can remember that "transit" has to do with moving on. Slap that -ion on the end, and transition to the next word without fear. Read about how Gina Cooke incorporates SWI with her Orton-Gillingham training to teach spelling to students with dyslexia.

4. Redefine word families and expand your students' vocabularies.

With traditional phonics-based spelling, word families are presented as groups of words that share similar letter patterns, like mat, cat, hat, sat, bat. But these words share no meaning! Try teaching word families in a new way, this time based on meaning. Your students will find that related words also share letter patterns because they share meaning, too! Introduce a word like "instruct," which most students are familiar with. Hand out other words in the <struct> family and ask volunteers to read and spell them out loud. Guide students to look at 1) spelling and 2) meaning. Build a word matrix like this one from Real Spellers.

You'll notice that words in the <struct> family include: instruct, destructive, infrastructure, obstruction, structure. They all have to do, at their core, with building and assembling, and their meaning is modified by the affixes. For this activity, make friends with the free online etymology resource Etymonline, where you and your students can discover the hidden meaning of words!

5. Spell out loud for impact.

When spelling on the board, model your process out loud, naming graphemes like <ee> phoneme "double e" or <oo> "double o." Read digraphs and trigraphs, like <ea> and <igh>, and any other combination of letters that only makes ONE sound, as a unit. If you make a mistake, model how to laugh it off with your students and try again. The joy of word inquiry is that everybody, even adults, will always have more to discover.
We'd love to hear-have you tried structured word inquiry in the classroom? Come and share your experiences in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Plus, check out our free Boggle and whack-a-word printables for teaching spelling.

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Using these guidelines, you can bring basic word inquiry into your elementary school classroom to ignite your students' curiosity.

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"Word study" is an alternative to traditional spelling instruction. It is based on learning word patterns rather than memorizing unconnected words. This article describes the word study approach.

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Simply put, structured word inquiry (SWI) is an investigation of words. It investigates how words are connected through their origins, structures, and parts. Through inquiry, students explore the history of words and their spelling. SWI also focuses on understanding patterns shared across word groups, such as their shared roots or families.

Through SWI, students investigate and learn new vocabulary by looking at a word's structure to understand it in new contexts. They analyze words based on their bases, prefixes, suffixes, and much more. This in turn helps them identify patterns and similarities between words to build written language proficiency.

How does SWI work in the classroom?

SWI, at its core, is an inquiry process that follows a structure:

1) Asking "what does this word mean?"

2) Examining the word structure

3) Exploring the word's history and etymology

4) Making connections

5) Representing findings

Planning SWI with the end in mind

To start, students need to understand that English spelling (English orthography) is an ordered system based on meaning. There is a high degree of order. Students need to learn these structures because understanding language makes them better listeners, speakers, readers, and writers. Furthermore, learning the roots and etymology of English words is a great way of developing critical thinking skills. Inquiry helps a great deal with this!

Using backwards design with spelling instruction helps guide teachers into planning a clear and complete understanding of the desired outcomes in structured word inquiries. The intended outcome of SWI's is that students understand that English spelling is reliable. The goal is that students' understanding of the patterns and principles in words and word families deepens.

In terms of planning, teachers should consider planning lessons that arrive at "answers" to questions they know before class even begins. Understanding and practicing the scientific process of inquiry is important to teach a successful SWI. In addition, building in time for students to practice their own orthographic knowledge and skills is equally important. Vocabulary building, class discussions, and skill development (such as developing a hypothesis and testing it) should be strategically weaved into lessons.

Classroom Tools

Consider using online tools, such as the Online Etymology Dictionary or the Word Searcher Tool that produces a list of related words to the one you type in, in your lessons to provide your class with a bank of new words to investigate. These provide perfect opportunities for students to find connections between words and deepen their inquiry skills.

What should students know?

Throughout your SWI, students should be exposed to new vocabulary and have had ample opportunity to explore word structures, word families, and patterns among words. Here are a few key takeaways students should be comfortable with by the end of the SWI:

Letters have more than one job. For instance, sometimes their job is to make sounds (even if they are not always the same).

The English language is spelled according to meaning, not sound. Meaning trumps sound (consider words that don't even make a sound, like the "w" in two).

Phonemes and graphemes mean different things. A phoneme is a speech sound. It combines with other speech sounds to make spoken words. A grapheme is the spelling of a sound in a word.

Analysis of word structure is incredibly important. It can help deepen understanding of concepts and terms in other subject areas, such as math or science.

Practical SWI activity ideas:

Before the lesson, cut up words that belong in the same family (e.g player, playful, playground) and put them in a bag. Include words that do not belong in the family as well. Introduce the base word "play" and discuss what that means. Grab a word from the word bag and students think-pair-share if that word belongs in the word family "play". Continue to do this, asking "Do they belong or not? How do we know?" Create a family word chart.

Provide students with a list of words with a shared suffix (e.g "-ed") and sort the words into categories depending on the sound they make:

Backwards word family: Show students a selection of words from the same word family and have them guess what the root word is (for example, the word "please" might include words such as "displease", "pleasing", "pleasurable", "unpleasant" etc.)

Create a matrix to investigate the prefixes, base, and suffixes of each word and break each part into the correct box:

Go on a phoneme hunt: Once you have introduced simple sounds, go for a walk and encourage students to write a list of things they see that contain the sound you just taught. For example, on a long E hunt, students may note a tree, a bee a key, or a baby. When you have returned to class, make a master list with your class.

Create word journals that show understanding of concepts through writing, pictures, or diagrams. They can be used as little or as often as you like, and makes a great assessment piece.

Word showcase: Students compile their own page of a class "word book" that shows their conclusions and what they learned. Then they teach the details of their investigation to an audience (e.g another class in the school or parents).

Assessment opportunities

There are plenty of assessment opportunities in SWI to assess both consolidation of learning as well as depth of learning. Students should be assessed based on the journey they take and not necessarily based on a test. The process of asking questions about words, investigating them, and showing their findings is the focus in a SWI. Collecting evidence via journaling, matrices, word sums, and other tools should provide sufficient proof of a students' strengths with their SWI. Asking a student to spell specific words provides an opportunity for teachers to observe how the student is constructing the word and what strategies they are using (sounding out, using word patterns, etc.) Finally, having 1:1 discussions with students, or giving students the opportunity to present their findings to other students, classes, or parents, helps to identify which conclusions they are confident about and what further questions they have.

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How to Teach Spelling With Structured Word Inquiry - Learning by Inquiry

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Simply put, structured word inquiry (SWI) is an investigation of words. It investigates how words are connected through their origins, structures, and parts. Through inquiry, students explore the history of words and their spelling. SWI also focuses on understanding patterns shared across word groups, such as their shared roots or families.

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Words Their Way By: Donald R. Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, & Francine Johnston

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Matching oral and written language structures is the process of learning to read and spell which entails three levels: 1) global level, 2) level of words and 3) level of sounds and letters within words and syllables (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 94). The global level incorporates oral language through gestures and facial expressions, while written language utilizes word choice and punctuation. Word level considers that letters are combined to create words that carry a certain meaning and the words are separated by spaces within the text. Lastly, the alphabetic understanding that letters represent sounds is important for speech to print.

Students in the emergent reading stage can be seen conducting picture walks, where they create their own story based on pictures or pretend to read the text. Students who have heard stories can automatically recall the events in a story, so much that they can use their finger to track words accurately within the text. Teachers will need to monitor this to help distinguish late emergent and early letter name students. In order to support learners, teachers need to conduct interactive read-alouds which model their expectations of oral language. Also, teachers can conduct shared reading or whole to part model instruction.

In emergent writing, there are 3 characteristics in spelling which include early emergent, middle emergent and late emergent. Figure 4.4 displays 6 types of spelling that represents the evolution of writing. For example, students in the partial phonetic stage use phonemes to represent words like k for "cat" or BB for "baby" (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 97). Teachers should encourage writing by providing journals, multiple forms or print support and transcription so that students can see their words in print.

As students learn to read, we must consider the process that they should go through to understand how print and writing works. The following are the 6 components that are needed for students to learn to read.

1) Oral language, concepts, and vocabulary

2) Phonological awareness (PA)-

3) Alphabet knowledge

4) Letter-sound knowledge

5) Concepts about print (CAP)

6) Concepts of word in text (COW)

Word Study helps to address these six components by addressing the basic needs of emergent readers. The PD Tool Kit for Words Their Way provides additional ways to progress monitor, assess and teach the skills needed to read and write. On page 121, table 4.4 displays an example of an emergent literacy plan that teachers can use to make sure that teachers "Read To, Read With, Write With, do Worod Study, and Talk With (RRWWI) in order to model reading and writing comprehensively (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012).

Figure 4.4: Words Their Way

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Matching oral and written language structures is the process of learning to read and spell which entails three levels: 1) global level, 2) level of words and 3) level of sounds and letters within words and syllables (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 94).

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Words Their Way By: Donald R. Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, & Francine Johnston

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Word Study for Intermediate Readers and Writers:

The Syllables and Affixes Stage

Beginning in the second and third grade for some students, and in fourth grade for most, cognitive and language growth supports movement into the syllables and affixes stage of word knowledge. Although students have been reading, and even writing, words of more than one syllable for some time, it is during this stage that they systematically study the generalizations that govern how syllables are joined and how affixes affect the spelling, meaning, and use of base words. (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 241).

This chapter and supporting material will help you facilitate students' word explorations to help them discover the patterns of sound, spelling, and meaning that link thousands of words. This knowledge will help them read, write, and spell much more effectively.

Literacy Development of Students in the Syllables and Affixes Stage

Students in the syllables and affixes stage of word knowledge are what Henderson (1990) called
intermediate readers-students who are not yet mature or advanced readers. The range of reading levels within this stage could span from grade 3 to grade 8.

Reading - Students in this stage will be expected to read textbooks and other informational reading. Background knowledge and vocabulary become critical elements in comprehension as students explore new genres and topics.

Students will look at words in a new way, they will use larger chunks to decode, spell, and store words. They may look at the syllables of a word, or at the morphemic chunks.

They are also able to read with greater fluency than in the previous stage.

Writing - Intermediate writers have increased confidence and fluency in their writing and are able to work on longer pieces over many days.

They are able to spell the majority of words they need for writing which allows them to focus more attention on the meaning of the writing.

Vocabulary - In this stage students' own reading becomes the primary source of new vocabulary. As they read they are exposed to more and more words that they do not know. This is especially true in the areas of Social Studies and Science as they read textbooks and books for information.

Teachers need to take an active role in making sure students' vocabularies are growing. Be sure to point out, discuss, and encourage students to ask about unfamiliar words.

Morphemic Analysis - One critical way to examine unfamiliar words is to use morphemic analysis. This is the process of using the meanings of prefixes, suffixes, and base words to help determine the meaning of a word. It is critical to model and reinforce this strategy and to give your students plenty of practice with using this strategy.

It is also important to teach that this strategy does not work for all words and in some cases they will need to use a dictionary.

Dictionaries - It is important to have dictionaries available and to provide them with dictionaries that are written at their level.

It will be important to show students how to look up the base word and to look for changes in spelling when the affixes are added.

Word Sorts and Vocabulary - When introducing words for a word sort be sure to check for student understanding of word meanings. The meanings of unfamiliar words can be discussed or looked up in a dictionary.

Teaching Content Vocabulary - When introducing content vocabulary it is important to incorporate the following
activities:

1. Activate background knowledge.
2. Explain the concept as it relates to other concepts.
3. Use graphic organizers, charts, or diagrams to show relationships among concepts.
4. Discuss examples and non-examples.

It is important to remember that content vocabulary may not be developmentally appropriate to use as spelling vocabulary.

Concept Sorts and Content Learning - Concept sorts provide multiple exposure to new concepts and vocabulary and can help students form relationships between words and their ideas.

Orthographic Development in the Syllables and Affixes Stage

Table 7.1 provides a summary of what students know, what they use but confuse, and what is still missing in the early, middle, and late syllables and affixes stage.

Word Study Instruction for the Syllables and Affixes Stage Word Study with English Learners in the Syllables and Affixes Stage English learners in this stage have a good understanding of the basic phonics and spelling generalizations of English and are ready to study more advanced features. There are however, several features that may present some conceptual difficulties for English learners. The words used may be new vocabulary, verb forms may be constructed differently, plurals may be formed differently, compound words and the use of affixes and base words may be uncommon in other languages. For this reason it is important to help English learners learn the spelling and meaning of words as well as gaining an understanding of why words work the way they do in English.
It is important at this stage that spelling instruction target the students needs. Too often spelling instruction at the intermediate level gives students lists of spelling words from content areas that are really vocabulary words. Such words lack any common spelling features and may not be developmentally appropriate. At this level the following principles should guide instruction:

Students should be actively involved in the exploration of words.

Students' prior knowledge should be engaged.

Students should have many exposures to words in meaningful context.

Students need systematic instruction of structural elements and how these elements combine.

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Word Study for Intermediate Readers and Writers: The Syllables and Affixes Stage Beginning in the second and third grade for some students, and in fourth grade for most, cognitive and language growth supports movement into the syllables and affixes stage of word knowledge.

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Words Their Way<br />By: Donald R. Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, & Francine Johnston

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The Word Pattern Stage for Transitional Learners helps students build upon their sounds and the patterns that sounds make within English Orthography. This stage is a transitional stage because it...

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Have students find misspelled words in their writing and give them a sort related to them.

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Have students find misspelled words in their writing and give them a sort related to them.

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Taking Your Word Study Lessons Up a Notch - Fresh Ideas for Teaching

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Try the following word study engagement and reflection exercises from Words Their Way author Donald Bear in your classroom.

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Words Their Way:

SO overwhelming, am I right?

We just started using Words Their Way this year. Although I was trained on WTW in college, I had NO IDEA how to implement WTW effectively in my classroom while differentiating to meet students' individual needs. Over the summer, my team decided that I was going to be in charge of word study, so I threw myself head first into Words Their Way. I read the books, read blogs, attended workshops, and watched videos.

I finally figured out how to implement WTW in my room. Maybe it will work for you, too!

ORGANIZATION

First, you have to give your students the PSI or ESI test and score them using the WTW scoresheets. I don't fill out the scoresheets completely because I find that to be a royal waste of time. Instead, I circle the patterns that a student MISSES. When a student misses three in one column, I stop grading and plan to start the student on that skill.

I have a spreadsheet on Google Docs that I use to keep track of my groups. It looks like this:

I created this FOREVER FREEBIE to help you organize your groups, which is essentially the same exact spreadsheet, just printable:

I grouped my students in August, then gave the PSI/ESI again in December. Based on those test results, I reworked the groups.

I like to print my students' word sorts on colored paper. It makes the words stand out and less likely to be lost! My guided reading groups are colors, so I had to think of something different to name my word study groups that was still applicable to colors. Don't judge.

My kids have baggies stapled into their take-home folders to store their words in. Honestly - most of the bags didn't make it to 2015, even though I bought the most expensive ones! Most of my students have replaced their baggies and bring them back and forth; I'm beyond impressed that none have been lost! All of my students have their words every day.

The above picture is of the inside of my students' take-home folders. (Read more about the folders HERE.) On the right is my Word Sort Cheat Sheet that students can refer to at home.

Alright - that's it for the organization. On to the implementation...

WORDS THEIR WAY SCHEDULE

I like to do two-week rotations. We only have word study for 20 minutes every day and homework is optional, so I want to make sure my kids have ample time to master new spelling patterns.

Week 1 - Monday Students cut out new words, write initials on the back, and try sorting them on their own. I pull small groups to give them a very brief overview of their sort and sort the words with them. Right now I have 5 groups and it takes me about 20 minutes to meet with all of the groups.

Week 1 - Tuesday Students do closed sorts with partners. Students must be partnered within their predetermined word study groups.

Week 1 - Wednesday Students work with partners to determine the meaning of each word and use them in sentences. If students don't know a word, they look it up in the dictionary or ask me.

Week 1 - Thursday Students do speed sorts in partners. I project a stopwatch on the board for students to watch.

Week 1 - Friday Students play

Week 2 - Monday Students do word hunts independently. They flip to the next blank page in their word study folders and write the headers at the top of the page. Then they use books and magazines to hunt for words that fit under their headers.

Week 2 - Tuesday Students do blind sorts with partners.

Week 2 - Wednesday Students play

Week 2 - Thursday Students do blind writing sorts with partners using dry erase boards.

Week 2 - Friday Students glue down their words, sorted, into their word study folders. I pass out notebook paper and the kids know to get their papers ready for the test. I call groups over to my reading corner one at a time. Students bring their papers and a pencil and grab a clipboard then I administer the test. I always print an extra copy of each word sort, staple the extras together, and use them to create the tests. Simple is best, in my opinion.

Word Master and Spin It! are both games that I designed and sell on Teachers Pay Teachers. There are tons of games out there for Words Their Way and phonics in general, but WTW is already way too much to keep up with. I designed both of these games so that they could be used with ANY word sort, so long as students can read the directions on the game boards. My students LOVE them!

OR, You can grab ALL of my Words Their Way resources here!

I'M EXHAUSTED NOW.

Honestly, I hope this post was helpful to you!

Want more Words Their Way advice? Read my follow-up blog post, Words Their Way: My Way, Part 2.

What questions do you have about my Words Their Way schedule or implementing Words Their Way? I'd love to help shed some light!
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Words Their Way: MY Way - School and the City

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Words Their Way: SO overwhelming, am I right? We just started using Words Their Way this year. Although I was trained on WTW in college, I had NO IDEA how to implement WTW effectively in my classroom while differentiating to meet students' individual needs.

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04.Syllables and Affixes Stage Sorts Instructions

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Words Their Way for Within Word Pattern Spellers

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Words Their Way By: Donald R. Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, & Francine Johnston

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Chapter 8 The term derivational relations is used to describe the type of word knowledge that more advanced readers and writers possess. The term emphasizes how spelling and vocabulary knowledge at this stage grow primarily through processes of
Word Study for Advanced Readers and Writers:
The Derivational Relations Stage

derivation-from a single base word or root word, a number of related words are derived through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. Word explorations at this stage generally have more to do with vocabulary development than simply spelling development. (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 273).

Our goal at this stage is to teach students that words that are related in meaning are often related in spelling as well. So by thinking of a word that is related to one you're trying to spell, you will often discover a helpful clue to the spelling.

Development of Students in the Derivational Relations Stage

Students in the derivational relations stage will be found in upper elementary, middle school, high school, and into adulthood. Students at this level are fairly competent spellers, so the errors they make are "high level," requiring a more advanced foundation of spelling and vocabulary.

It is important to note the distinction between word-specific and generative vocabulary instruction at this stage:
word-specific instruction is typically to teach an understanding of the content and specific vocabulary, while generative instruction is to teach about words and the process of combining word parts. This is also known as the spelling-meaning connection.

Flanigan (2011) refered to the old saying,"Give someone a fish, they can eat for a day. Teach them to fish, they can eat for a lifetime." Word-specific instruction gives students the fish; generative instruction teaches them how to fish.

Reading - These advanced readers are able to explore the Greek and Latin word elements that are important morphemes out of which thousands of words are constructed. Reading at this stage is the primary means by which students gain access to these words.

Orthographic Development in the Derivational Relations StageVocabulary Learning - Growth in core academic as well as content specific vocabulary increases dramatically during this stage. Concept sorts help to activate background knowledge and are also key to the learning of new vocabulary. Sorting, moving, and discussing the words engage student learning.

Word Origins - Understanding a words origin can give students insight into the spelling and meaning of the word. Studying a word's history as well as words from other languages leads to a greater understanding of word meanings and spellings.

Table 8.1 summarizes some of the characteristics of spellers in this stage.

Word study instruction at this level emphasizes active exploration of words and the applications of word knowledge to spelling, vocabulary development, and the analysis of unknown words encountered in reading. Word Study for English Learners in the Derivational Relations Stage The study of cognates is particularly helpful to English learners at this stage. Cognates are words in different languages that share similar structures and similar meanings because they share similar origins. Looking closely at cognates will help the student to see similarities between their native language and the language they are learning.

Word Study Instruction for the Derivational Relations Stage

An important caution to keep in mind is that elementary students at this stage may be ready for the concepts but do not have the vocabulary knowledge for many of the words. The words are unlikely to show up in their grade level reading material. Placement into this stage may need to depend on the students grade level.

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Chapter 8 The term derivational relations is used to describe the type of word knowledge that more advanced readers and writers possess. The term emphasizes how spelling and vocabulary knowledge at this stage grow primarily through processes of Word Study for Advanced Readers and Writers: The Derivational Relations Stage derivation-from a single base word or root word, a number of related words are derived through the addition of prefixes and suffixes.

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Words Their Way<br />By: Donald R. Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, & Francine Johnston

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The Letter Name - Alphabetic Stage The letter name - alphabetic stage is a beginning stage for students to read and write in conventional ways. It is...

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Sort 7 - Short -a & Long -a

Sort 18 - REVIEW for CVVC Pattern (ai, oa, ee, ea)
Short -u & Long -u (Open Syllable -ew & -ue)

Sort 22 - Short -i & Long -i (CVCe, CVCC -igh, & CV Open Syllable -y)

Sort 24 - REVIEW of Long-Vowel Patterns (CVCC, CVVC, CVCe, CV & CVV Open Syllable)

Sort 10 - Short -u & Long -u Sort 11 - Short vs. Long Review (CVC & CVCe)

Sort 13 - Short -a & Long -a (CVCe & CVVC)

Sort 25 - ar, are, air
REVIEW - Spell Check 4 - Review of less common long-vowel patterns
er, ear, eer

Sort 30 - REVIEW of ar, Schwa-plus-r, & or

Sort 31 - Long -o, -oi, -oy

Sort 32 - Long oo, Short oo

tch, ch

Sort 44 -
Sort 43 - High-Frequency Words Starting with a- & be-
Sort 45 -
Contractions

Sort 46 -
Plural Endings s & es
Three Sounds of the Past Tense ed Sort 47 -

Long -a Homophones
Sort 48 -
More Long -a Homophones
Sort 49 -
Long -e Homophones
​Sort 50 -
Long -i & Long -o Homophones

2020-2021 S&A Sort

Syllable & Affixes Spelling Patterns
(Words with More than 1 syllable)

Sort 1 - REVIEW of Vowel Patterns in One-Syllable Words

Sort 2 - Adding - ing to Words with VC & VCC Patterns
HTML File S and A-Sort 2

Sort 3 - Adding -ing to Words with VCe & VVC Patterns

Sort 4 - Review of Double, e-Drop, & Nothing

Sort 5 - Adding -ed to Words

Sort 6 - Unusual Past Tense Words

Sort 7 - Plural Endings: Adding -es

Sort 8 - Unusual Plurals

Sort 9 - y + Inflected Endings

Sort 10 - Compound Words

Sort 11 - More Compound Words

Sort 12 - Syllable Juncture in VCV & VCCV Patterns

Sort 13 - More Syllable Juncture in VCV & VCCV Patterns

Sort 14 - Syllable Juncture in VCV & VVCV Patterns

Sort 15 - Syllable Junctures in VCCCV & VV Patterns

Sort 16 - Open & Closed Syllables & Inflected Endings

Sort 17 - Long -a Patterns in Accented Syllables

Sort 18 - Long -i Patterns in Accented Syllables

Sort 19 - Long -o Patterns in Accented Syllables sorted by 1st or 2nd syllable

​Sort 19 - Long -o Patterns in Accented Syllables sorted by Vowel Patterns

Sort 20 - Long -u Patterns in Accented Syllables

Sort 21 - Long -e Patterns in Accented Syllables
Sort 21 - second version

Sort 22 - Ambiguous Vowels in Accented Syllables (oy/oi & ou/ow)

Sort 23 - More Ambiguous Vowels in Accented Syllables (au, aw, al)

Sort 24 - r-Influenced a in Accented Syllables

Sort 25 - r-Influenced o in Accented Syllables

Sort 26 - Words with the w or /w/ sound before the vowel

Sort 27 - Schwa + r Spelled er, ir, and ur in First Syllables

Sort 28 - Schwa + r & r-Influenced e in Accented Syllables (er, ear, ere)

Sort 29 - Unaccented Final Syllable (le)

Sort 30 - Unaccented Final Syllable (le, el, il, al)

Sort 31 - Unaccented Final Syllable (er, ar, or)

Sort 32 - Agents & Comparatives

Sort 32 - Comparatives & Superlatives

Sort 33 - Unaccented Final Syllables (/chur/zhur/yur/)

Sort 34 - Unaccented Final Syllables (en, on, ain, in)

Sort 35 - Unaccented Final Syllables (et, it, ate)

Sort 36 - Final -y, -ey, & -ie

Sort 37 - y + Inflected Endings

Sort 38 - Unaccented Initial Syllables (a-, de-, be-)

Sort 39 - Initial Hard & Soft g & c

Sort 40 - s & Soft c & g in the Final Syllable

Sort 41 - More Words with g

Sort 42 - The Sound of k Spelled ck, ic, & x

Sort 43 - Spellings with qu

Sort 44 - Words with Silent Consonants

Sort 45 - gh & ph

Sort 46 - Prefixes (re-, un-)

Sort 47 - Prefixes (dis-, mis-, pre-)

Sort 48 - Prefixes (ex-, non-, in-, fore-)

Sort 49 - Prefixes (uni-, bi-, tri-, & Other Numbers)

Sort 50 - Suffixes (-y, -ly, -ily)

Sort 51 - Comparatives (-er, -est)

Sort 52 - Suffixes (-ness, -ful, -less)

Sort 53 - Homophones

Sort 54 - Homographs

Sort 55 - i before e Except After c

​Sort 56 - Geography Syllable Sort

Derivational

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Sort 7 - Short -a & Long -a Sort 18 - REVIEW for CVVC Pattern (ai, oa, ee, ea) Short -u & Long -u (Open Syllable -ew & -ue) Sort 22 - Short -i & Long -i (CVCe, CVCC -igh, & CV Open Syllable -y) Sort 24 - REVIEW of Long-Vowel Patterns (CVCC, CVVC, CVCe, CV & CVV Open Syllable) Sort 10 - Short -u & Long -u Sort 11 - Short vs.