Within Word Pattern Lists and Cards

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.