My Words Their Way Word Study Routine - Seven Day Overview
Are you looking for ways to improve your upper elementary word study or spelling routine this year? Or, are you just getting started with Words Their Way and looking for ways that other teachers plan and organize their word study block? Well, I AM SO GLAD YOU ARE HERE because sharing all that I’ve learned over the years as my upper elementary word study routine has evolved just lights me up inside!
Realizing that my word study routine DID NOT need to revolve around a Monday - Friday structure was one of the best discoveries I’ve made in my teaching career. 🤯
Once I shifted from a Monday-Friday schedule to a rotation of 7 , 8, or 9 day cycles of meaningful word study and spelling activities, I really started seeing my students enjoy word study, and instead of routines that fell apart when we missed days of the week, we THRIVED on a schedule that was flexible to the realities of teaching schedules that sometimes (often!) have to change.
Learn how I went from the Monday - Friday grind to a 7, 8, or 9 day cycle approach!
This post was originally written in 2013, updated in 2017, and now up to date for 2022. This is the first post in a four part series where I’ve shared my love of word study and the leveled Words Their Way word sort books that I’ve used in my classroom since 2013. While I use Words Their Way as my guide for a differentiated word study program, the tips I offer on my blog can be applied to any word study or spelling program where the focus is on generalizing word knowledge to improve reading fluency and spelling.
In the second post, I share a few secrets about how I really make this routine work, and in the third post, I’ve included even more tips and suggestions! Like I said, I LOVE talking about this stuff, so let’s get the party started by shaping up your word study routine with some FRESH ideas!
(Note: This post contains affiliate links. This means that I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Read my full disclosure here.)
QUICK NOTES ABOUT WORDS THEIR WAY
If you are unfamiliar with Words Their Way, I recommend getting a copy of Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction, 7th Edition (Donald Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, et al.). Words Their Way is described as "a hands-on, developmentally-driven approach to word study that illustrates how to integrate and teach phonics, vocabulary, and spelling skills to all students." Sorting words with common sounds, patterns, and word parts is a foundational strategy of Words Their Way.
If you are unfamiliar with word sorting routines, I found this awesome video that demonstrates some of the key aspects of a Words their Way program including an open sort, “no peaking” sort, and a small group meeting with the teacher.
You can also request my free word sort direction posters and a student choice board by entering your email below.
FIRST, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE OLD WAY:
In my first few years of teaching 5th graders, I tried different routines and programs for spelling and word study. My school did not have a set spelling program, but I knew it was important for my students to have differentiated spelling lists.
I pre-tested students with a high-frequency word list and gave them a highlighted copy of the words they had spelled correctly. Each week, students pulled 5 personal words from the list and 5 words from my whole-group word study lesson. Students wrote their words on an index card, had me proof it, and placed it in their envelope on our word study chart that hung in the room.
My minilessons focused on a spelling pattern that I thought students needed to review. I tried to generate a list of shorter and longer words so that students on different levels could pull from the list but creating my own lists made planning for word study very time consuming and it was hard to challenge my best spellers.
On Fridays, students would buddy test with a partner, check one another's spelling tests, and report the score to me. Any words that were not spelled correctly went onto the following week's word study list for them to work with for another week.
—> Can you tell I was struggling to turn a chunk of my instruction that I felt was required into a worthy learning experience that would make an impact on my students' spelling?
It was definitely a struggle to feel like I was doing the right thing during spelling/word study time. And every Sunday night, word study planning was a source of great stress and dread.
HOW RIDICULOUS that such a SMALL part of our school day caused me so much stress, but it did!
I barely remember the activities students did each day with their word lists, but I'm sure I would not recommend spending your time that way now. {#firstyearteacherproblems! #livelearnanddobetter!}
MY “BETTER” WORD STUDY ROUTINE
Fast forward a few years, and my word study program was revolutionized by the release of the Words Their Way Word Sorts books for each level of spellers. Thank goodness my school purchased these for us and handed a set of the books to each grade level.
All of a sudden, I could stop wracking my brain over word lists, what spelling patterns to focus on, and whether or not I was giving ALL of my students what they needed based on their spelling abilities. I could start focusing on actual strategies and activities for teaching students the word patterns they needed to learn to spell based on their level!
Using the Words Their Ways Spelling inventory to assess students at the beginning of the year gave me better data on where my students were in their spelling development AND because of the Words Their Way Sort books, I was READY TO GO with my word lists and printable word sorts.
All I had to do was score the assessments, group my students, decide where to start in the leveled books, and make copies of the sorts we would need each week! To see an example of the developmental spelling inventory, check out this awesome explanation of how to score that I found.
Of course, I learned many strategies along the way to not only make my word study time easier to plan and implement but to also make it a BLISSFUL time of our day. It quickly became something that my students and I looked forward to—we even called word study FUN sometimes and I think that was because of the routines I set up for students and the new attitude I had towards word study because it wasn't such a stress-inducing aspect of my planning time anymore.
So, what activities did I find success with when I ditched the Monday - Friday routines? The routines and ideas I describe below are from the upper elementary perspective, so modifications and scaffolding may be necessary for lower grades and weaker spellers.
Here's the most up-to-date word study cycle of activities that I recommend.
Day 1-2: Students complete a “DISCOVERY” WORD SEARCH (NO WORD LIST INCLUDED)
If you are familiar with Words Their Way, then you know that a "blind sort" is an activity where students sort the words into categories (and write them down) as they hear them called out. It's called BLIND because they are not looking at the words to sort them. I decided to call these “discovery word searches” as students discover the words included on their current word list.
By seeking and searching through a word search, students have a fun way of figuring out their word pattern focus for the current word study cycle and as they work, they try to deduce the current word sort rule or pattern.
The word search "WORD searching" is an engaging, fun way for students to discover the words on their word list and sharpen their ability to recognize words that ARE spelled correctly (which I've found is a major key to spelling improvement).
Students also demonstrate their understanding of sorting by sound and/or look when they record the words they have found into categories. (Students have the word searches glued into their notebooks and MUST record the words as they find them by SORTING the words into categories).
I have created word searches for the Letter-Name Alphabetic, Within Word Pattern, Syllables and Affixes, and Derivational Relations Spellers sorting books. You have two formats to choose from—one where students record their word findings in their word study journals and one that provides students space to record the words they find in categories.
Note: Very few students complete a word search in one word study block. While I actually don’t expect students to find all of the their words, they do benefit from having a second day to “give it a go” and find more words since our word study block is a quick 15-20 minutes!
Day 3: MEET WITH THE TEACHER
Students receive their word lists on their desks to cut out when they arrive in the morning so that they are prepared for this meeting. Meet with the teacher time may include going over word searches, sorting words in different ways, introducing word study notebook activities, and playing games or independent hands-on activities so that students are prepared for upcoming activities in their rotation. The focus is always on discussing word patterns/rules and word meanings, etc., but the resources I use during Meet with the Teacher change as the year goes on and I add new activities to students’ schedule.
When word sorting is the focus, I like to simply ask students to sort their words and then have each student explain what criteria/word patterns they sorted them by. We look for any words that might be misplaced and as students are sorting, I work with individual students asking them to read the words in each column to me. (Often, students realize when they need to move a word to another category when you ask them to read the words aloud).
With my average/higher groups, I ask what words they found in their word search and we sort them into categories on a whiteboard. Sometimes I will provide them with other words they should have found, but hearing what their group members found gives them clues about other words to look for.
(I always have my Words Their Way Word Sort books open during this meeting so that I can refer to them and see what words students should have found.)
Modification: The lower groups need practice, practice, practice, and immediate feedback. When these kiddos meet with the teacher, I give them a whiteboard, marker, and eraser and fire off words at them from the list they are on and from previous lists. We often have to focus on short sounds vs long sounds, words with double vowel patterns, and making sure we have represented all of the sounds found in the words. I ultimately need to meet with my lowest spelling groups twice during a word study cycle. I'll show you how I do that in my next post.
Day 4-5: PARTNER GAME OR INDEPENDENT HANDS-ON ACTIVITY (FUN DAY!)
I used to think that games during word study were SO PRIMARY! I’ve since changed my tune and realized that my students would benefit a ton from playing with their words 😂. In the past year, I’ve been incorporating word study games like match and memory, various board games, picture and word boards with spinners, and more into our rotation. I’ve created partner-based games AND other interactive, hands-on activities (that are very game-like) that students can play independently or with a partner. I include a few recurring game formats in my plans so that students play a variety of games throughout the year, BUT easily remember how to play the games the next time they see them with new words.
During game play, students have a recording sheet that not only holds them accountable for playing the games with purpose, but allows me to assess their understanding and check in where needed!
Why is this a two-day thing?! Well, you know, because it’s so fun to play games and do hands-on things with words. If you want to shorten your rotation to less than 9 days, this is a place to cut a day. In addition, it’s probably helpful to know that I don’t introduce all of these activities at once, but slowly bring out the games during Meet with the Teacher to introduce students to them and set them up for success when they are expected to play them independently.
Day 6: Writer's Notebook Day
I think it’s important to include activities in our word study routine that remind students of one of the main purposes of word study—improved spelling! To meet that goal, I started implementing a Writer's Notebook day into our word study routine and never looked back! How does this work?
👉 Everyone takes out their writer's notebook, turns to a page that is full of writing and searches for misspelled words.
👉 When students think they have found all of the misspelled words on a page, they raise their hand and I skim to see if I can find anything they missed. I usually tell my better spellers, "I see #__ more misspelled words" and walk away to let them continue searching and correcting.
👉 For students having difficulty finding a misspelled word, I tell them which line to look on. Students write a correction above the word (they are allowed to ask for help from a neighbor or me after trying themselves, and I don't usually have them searching through dictionaries because the goal is for students to improve their abilities for recognizing misspelled words...a key step to becoming a better speller!).
I believe our Writer's Notebook day is CRITICAL to transferring spelling improvement and encouraging students to place some importance on spelling more words correctly when writing for authentic purposes. But, if you need to cut your cycle down a day, this is an activity you can skip.
DAY 7: WORD STUDY NOTEBOOK DAY
Word study notebooks are a way to encourage students to think deeply about the words on their word lists. I ask questions like: What do you notice about the way these words are spelled? What do you notice about the sounds in these words? What do you notice about the way the beginning/ending changed the meaning of the word? How did the spelling change when (something) was added? How did the spelling change when the tense changed? etc.
These word study notebook activities are meant to give students more structure as they delve into building a deeper understanding of the words and spelling patterns on their word list. While the activity sheets are designed for independent exploration, I am sure to go over how to complete the activity pages and recommend a gradual-release approach to using the word study notebook activities.
DAY 8: CATCH UP DAY, WORD SORTING ACTIVITIES, SELF-QUIZ DAY
“Catch-Up Day” is something new that I’ve added to students’ rotations. Although students do get better and better at finding words in their word searches, completing their word study notebooks, and doing their word sorting activities, a catch up day gives us some breathing room!
If students have completed all assigned activities, they can choose additional word sorts to do from their “You Choose” sorts boards, complete Look, Say, Cover, Write check to quiz themselves, and play games/hands on activities if I’ve introduced them.
Don’t forget to grab the Word Sorting Direction posters and Choice Board. I’ve also included directions for LSCW-Check and Building Words!
DAY 9: “HEAR IT/SORT AND SPELL IT” OR ‘NO PEAKING’ ASSESSMENT
Students need someone to call their word list out to them. If all students are assessing on the same day, I assign everyone a word study partner that is not in their word study group.
I require my students to complete their word study assessment by sorting their words into categories as they try to spell them correctly. This is why I’ve called it a “hear it/sort and spell it” sort.
I love sorting assessments because as I watch students categorize words, I see them actively thinking about spelling patterns—erasing, moving words around, and correcting misspelled words.
It is really amazing.
Students check their partner's tests using their word lists, record a # correct/total at the top, and record missed words on their “Words to Work On” Chart. These are words that their spelling partner can pull two from each week. Once a word has been spelled correctly 3-4 times, it can be checked off of the list.
The only other thing I would add to this list is the opportunity for students to call words out to one another. If you have time, inserting a "whiteboard spelling day" would be really fun and beneficial for students. You could have students who are in the same group call out different words to one another. They could make it a little competitive by keeping score (which is a fair game because students are on the same spelling level.)
NOTE: I formerly called this a “blind” assessment, but have updated the language for sensitivity and to more clearly describe what students do in this assessment. In a “hear it/sort and spell it” assessment, students record the words in categories as they try to spell them correctly. As students complete a “hear it/sort and spell it” assessment, they actively consider the spelling patterns in the words, allowing them the opportunity to thoughtfully correct any misspellings as they work.
ADDITIONAL OPTIONS TO CONSIDER
WHOLE GROUP VOCABULARY DAY
Because vocabulary development is so important, some years, I’ve included a block of whole-group vocabulary lessons in our word study routine. This helps to expose all of my spellers to the importance of learning word meanings and gives them new vocabulary even if their personal word study words don't lead to much vocabulary development.
The resources I've used for our vocabulary day have varied across the years, but I've used my 48 Character Traits set our content area vocabulary, Greek and Latin roots, and a Word a Week Vocabulary Program (a teacher book with vocabulary words and short stories to read aloud). Mrs. Wordsmith Storyteller's Word A Day also looks like an amazing resource to use for a Word a Day program.
USING TECHNOLOGY DAY
Using web-based programs with game-like activities is a great way to provide an outlet for students to work with their words authentically and in a fun way. I used to have an entire day in our routine devoted to Spelling City, but unfortunately, Spelling City was bought by another company and is no longer what it used to be. I am now exploring Boom Learning and other tech-based programs in case I want to incorporate a web-based program in the future. If you want to incorporate technology into your spelling/word study program, look for websites like Boom Learning that provide students with immediate feedback as they work and answer questions.
Yes, my word study routine is MORE than 5 days and it has never been more impactful, fun, or meaningful for my students than it was before this schedule! I hope you have enjoyed a peek into my word study routines. Next up, I've shared a few ways that I modify for my struggling and advanced spellers, how I really organize my schedule, and my best tips for managing word study and making the routines go even smoother! Head here to explore other word study topics I’ve written about!
If you have any questions I can answer about my word study routine or setting up a phenomenal word study block, drop them in the comments!
SHOP THESE WORD STUDY RESOURCES TO MAKE creating an awesome routine EVEN EASIER!
Upon clicking the link above, you will be asked to make a copy of the word study schedule template. It is formatted in Google Slides where you will find my suggested 7 and 9 day word study routines with 5 small groups mapped out. You’ll also find editable slides where you can customize the word study schedule for your own classroom needs!
If you have not purchased the Words Their Way Word Sorts books, I highly recommend checking them out. Find the 3rd Edition Word Sort books released in 2018 here:
Letter and Picture Sorts for Emergent Spellers
Word Sorts for Letter-Name Alphabetic Spellers
Word Sorts for Within Word Pattern Spellers
