What’s Developmental Spelling?
I am a believer in using a developmental spelling approach in my classroom. A developmental approach is a phonics based program that helps my students learn how words work in the English language. In our classroom each week we do a word study. This allows my students to look at the words and develop a deeper understanding of how spelling works to represent sound and meaning.
What does Developmental Spelling Look Like?
Our district uses the Macmillan McGraw-Hill Treasures reading series and the spelling component that goes with it. I use a lot of word sorts on the interactive whiteboard and in our interactive journals to help my students learn sounds, patterns, and the meanings of words. My word sorts are available to me through the reading series. In addition to our word sorts, we complete a spelling practice activity per day. They have several activities to choose from.
Spelling Activities
Each week my students are given 15 spelling words. Ten follow a phonics pattern that we focus on, two words are review words from the week prior, and 3 words are high-frequency words from the story that do not follow the phonics rule of study for the week. Each day students choose 1 spelling activity out of a mesh file folder that is filled with various practice activities.
Spelling Test
For the spelling test, I have my students spell the first 10 words. I then give them a bonus word that follows this same spelling pattern. The students must then circle the correctly spelled high-frequency word. Lastly, they must circle the incorrectly spelled review word in each sentence and write it correctly.
If you use the Treasures reading series then check out all my unit tests that also have editable files included in each unit here.
*This was first published on October 2, 2017 on hometownhappyteacher.com
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