Words Their Way Vocabulary

One of the things I love about the Words Their Way program is that while my kiddos are working on CVC words, vowel patterns, and word families, they are also getting to practice vocabulary!  One of the challenges with the program, though, is that there are so many words and so many options for practicing them!


This summer I spent a lot of time thinking about how to make my Word Study time more effective for all of my spellers.  I typically have quite a range in my classroom -- from kiddos struggling to differentiate short vowels (like bed vs. bid) to those working on r-inflected words (like "harm" or "turn").  I wanted to ensure that everyone got sufficient practice with spelling their words and also learning their meanings.  I looked at a number of different resources and finally developed a plan for Word Study Centers.

I decided that we needed two weeks with each sort, and currently I have three different groups working on different sorts.  On the first day with a new sort, all of the kiddos cut out their sorts, write their initials on the back (so they don't lose their pieces), and try to sort.  I will often pull a small group of kiddos to discuss the "rule" or system for sorting their words.  The next day, the kiddos do speed sorts and write the rule; I check in with each of them to see that they are reading and sorting the words correctly.  Then they work with a partner: they sort together and do "blind sorts" where one partners says a word and the other partner writes it down.  

During the second week, the kiddos get to choose from a variety of centers that reinforce and extend their learning.  Some of the more popular choices include letter magnets, letter cubes, and illustrating their words.  Illustrating is particularly great for words with multiple meanings, like "shed" or "tag"!  They keep all of the papers in a binder along with a mesh pencil case where they store their scissors, glue, and active sort pieces, so they have all of the materials they need for any center.

{Get this FREEBIE: Writing Mat, Illustrate Mat, and Sorting/Gluing Mat!}

I assess all of the students at the end of each two week period and determine whether they are ready to move on to the next sort. So far, this method is working well -- it gives me enough time to check in with each group and also seems to give the kiddos enough time to really become familiar with their words. I also encourage the kiddos to refer back to previous sorts when they get stuck on a word in their reading or writing.  They get so excited when they come across a word that they have had in a sort and I can actually see them become stronger readers and writers!

Vocabulary In Action

A few years ago I attended a professional development training on the importance of teaching "Tier 2" vocabulary words.  Tier 2 words are complex, often nuanced, words that can be used in a variety of settings -- words like gullible, mimic, and coincidence.  These words are unlike traditional vocabulary words (Tier 1 words), which are low-frequency and domain-specific -- words like peninsula, proton, and protagonist.  Tier 2 words are found in literature and mature conversation; they are essential for strong comprehension and fluency.

In order to learn Tier 2 words, students need to hear them in a variety of settings and be able to recall and utilize them in different situations as well.  For the past few years, my school has been using the Scholastic Text Talk® program to introduce weekly Tier 2 vocabulary words.  There are a number of great features about this program, but my favorite thing is how much the kiddos love it!

Text Talk® Level B Books

Each week we have a new high-quality book to read-aloud (the books are a mix of realistic fiction, fairy tale, fable, and fantasy).  Throughout the story, there are teacher notes which include deep comprehension questions, retelling prompts, and brief vocabulary explanations.  The kiddos love the books and get very engaged in the stories through the questions.

I typically read each book all the way through on Monday, and then we re-read sections on Tuesday and Wednesday to focus on specific vocabulary words.  Each book introduces 6 vocabulary words, although only 4 of them are directly from the book -- the other 2 words can be used to describe a situation that occurs in the story but are not actually used in the book.  For instance, in the book Caps For Sale, one of the words is mimic. Knowing the word mimic, helps students explain and understand how the monkeys act in the story, although the author never says it.

Text Talk® Concept Web for the word "suspicious"

This year, I've also added actions for each vocabulary word to support kinesthetic learners.  During the 2nd and 3rd read-throughs, I often add interactive writing tasks, such as making lists, concept webs, or other graphic organizers that help students examine certain words in more depth.  By the end of the week, the kiddos have heard each of the 6 vocabulary words multiple times and begin to use them around the classroom.  It's so cute to hear them saying, "We need an orderly line," or "He has an assortment of toys," or "The monkey bars are very versatile"!