When I created these lists I started with the spelling lists from Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt Journeys and reorganized them. What resulted was a graded set of lists to be used for differentiated word study. At the beginning of the year I determine each student's spelling stage using the Words Their Way Elementary Spelling Inventory. Then I group the students by spelling stage and determine what feature the group should begin with. Just because the lists are labeled with numbers does not mean that each group will begin the year on list 1. One year, for example, I had three groups: The first started on Within Word Pattern List 1, the second started with Within Word Pattern List 5, and the third started with Syllables and Affixes List 1*. In the middle of the year I readjusted groups and found the need for a fourth group. Note: The whole class does lists 9, 14, 21, and 22 together. These lists can be inserted into each group's program of study at any point so that the entire class works on these during the same week. (Example: My group who started on WWP List 5 did lists 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, and then 9.)
The three blank cards at the bottom of each sort are for students to think of 3 more words that match the spelling principle. This helps students transfer the knowledge they gained about patterns from sorting into spelling.
Syllables and Affixes Lists: I have two versions of a handful of these lists. The second version with the * should be more challenging. These are typically more appropriate for those advanced students who come in to the grade level at the syllables and affixes stage whereas the other lists are used for the students who transition into this stage during the school year. This is not a set rule, however. I let myself be flexible so that students are challenged appropriately.
1 VCC and VCe Base Words with Endings -ed and -ing
*1 VCe, VVC, VCC, VCCC Base Words with Endings ‑ed and ‑ing
2 Base Words with Endings ‑s and ‑es
*2 Base Words and Endings ‑s and ‑es
*2b Base Words and Endings ‑ed, ‑ing, ‑s and ‑es
3 VC and VCC Base Words with Endings ‑ed and ‑ing
*3 VC and VCC Base Words with Endings ‑ed and ‑ing
4 Suffixes ‑ly and ‑ful
*4 Suffixes ‑ly and ‑ful
5 Prefixes re‑ and un‑
*5 Prefixes re‑ and un‑
6 Final Unstressed Syllables ‑y, ‑ey, and ‑ie
7 VCV and VCCV Syllable Junctures
8 VVCV, VC/V, V/CV Syllable Junctures
9 Contractions (see Within Word Pattern page for two leveled lists)
10 VV/CV, VC/V, V/CV, VC/CV Syllable Juncture Review
11 VCCCV and VV Syllable Junctures
12 VC/CV VC/CCV, VCC/CV, VV Syllable Juncture Review
13 Unaccented Final Syllable Words with ‑le
14 Compound Words (see Within Word Pattern page for two leveled lists)
15 Unaccented Final Syllable Words with /el/ Spelled ‑le, ‑el, ‑il, and ‑al
16 Unaccented Final Syllable Words with /er/ Spelled ‑er, ‑ar, and ‑or
17 Unaccented Final Syllables ‑er and ‑or
18 Unaccented Final Syllables ‑cher, ‑ture, ‑sure, and ‑ure
19 Unaccented Final Syllable ‑en, ‑on, ‑an, ‑ain
20 Unaccented First Syllable a‑, de‑, and be‑
21 and 22 Homophones and More Homophones (see Within Word Pattern page for four leveled lists)
23 VC, VCC, VCe, VVC, and ‑y Base Words with Endings -ed and -ing
24 Noun Base Words with Endings ‑s and ‑es
25 Base Words with Endings ‑ed, ‑ing, ‑s and ‑es
26 ‑Vy, ‑Cy, ‑f, and ‑o Base Words with Endings ‑s and ‑es
27 ‑o and ‑f Base Words with Endings ‑s and ‑es
28 Irregular Past Tense Verbs
29 ‑ck, VCe, VVC, VCC Base Words with Endings -ing
30 Multisyllabic Long u, Long o, and oo Words
31 Multisyllabic Words with Special Vowels oi and oy