Word Work

High frequency words are words that students will find often in their reading and writing. Sight words are words that don't follow general spelling patterns and need to be memorized. Students study these two kinds of words to aid in reading grade level books and to write clearly.

Words Their Way is a word study program that allows students to work with words that are at their developmentally spelling stage. The teacher guides students in looking at word parts and features to better understand the patterns and oddball words in our written language. Word sorts are a key component of the paper and online practice students do.

Patterns of Power is a protocol for inviting students to notice and try conventions of language. The approach focuses on students understanding how conventions work and why authors, including them, choose to use them in their writing.

Heggerty is a phonemic awareness program used in early elementary classrooms. Phonemic awareness is all about understanding that spoken words are made up individual sounds called phonemes. Though word play games, students enjoy manipulating sounds to make, change, and break words.

Phonics is all about the connection between spoken sounds and the letters that represent them. In elementary classrooms, students practice stretching, breaking, blending, and manipulating sounds and words. This practice helps when they are writing and trying to read new words.

Vocabulary study is key to helping students understand what they are reading and what they want to write. Some vocabulary might focus on specific subjects and others might be words that students need to communicate with others. Rich texts, explicit teaching, and independent practice activities help students better understand the words around them.