Word Study Instructions for Class
Word study is an approach to providing specific instructions for spellings that move the focus from memorizing.
The approach reflects on several kinds of research that discovered the concept of alphabetical patterns that form meaningful layers of English orthography.
Teachers use several hands-on approaches to the teaching pattern for young students to learn spelling effectively.
Word study helps them provide students with the opportunity to actively explore several layers of information.
When studying the alphabetical layers, students examine the minute relationship between letters and sounds.
They also learn to match letters to specific sounds and create words in the process.
Studying these patterns allow children to create words themselves without having to memorize spellings ensuring a better form of learning.
Learning the layers of orthography helps students see the regularities and patterns which help them derive English words more effectively than usual.
The word study approach to the language also improves their vocabulary and English writing skills while they decode unfamiliar words.
The primary goal of word study is to provide students with a developing environment for the knowledge of orthography which students can readily apply in their writing and reading.
Here are some of the ways to implement word study:
Assessment Tools
Before you make a study plan, it is important for you to know the level of knowledge your students possess on alphabetic patterns and layers of orthography.
Tools like Primary Spelling Inventory or Elementary Spelling Inventory are the best to assess the word knowledge of students.
The assessments help children understand orthography and the results help teachers to build an effective study plan for the class.
Teachers should conduct regular assessments to keep track of the learning and alter their study plans to optimize for study implementations in the class.
Small-Group Approach
As word study can be complicated, it is advised that the teacher divides the class into small groups for the study.
Having more than two groups for the study will help professionals develop efficient workshops for the groups tailored to the type of learning required.
The groups should be sorted on their knowledge level of word study, alphabetic, patterns, and layers of orthography.
Conducting independent learning activities ensures that students are not left behind with the learning process and everyone learns efficiently.
Word Study Instructions
When you are teaching word study incorporated with guided reading or to separate development groups, it is important for you to have a proper lesson plan and word work activities.
You need to have a separate study plan for all your groups with six to nine lessons and activities for each study plan.
Additionally, you will need to have the time to study the different concepts you will be teaching.
It is important for you as a teacher to be extremely familiar with all the concepts for you to efficiently answer all questions and ensure proper learning in the class.
In other terms, in a word study plan, the teachers need to invest sufficient time to prepare themselves for the daily instructions and word work activities.
