Spelling Words! (August 30 - Sep. 6)

Below, you will the spelling words that students in Room 3 will be working on next week, and also a needlessly long explanation about spelling practice. If your child was in my class last year and you know all this, feel free to skip to the bottom.

My approach to spelling is meant to help students learn common patterns that will allow them to accurately spell familiar and unfamiliar words when writing. They will also develop their ability to work towards learning goals through regular practice and study, as well as some basic test-taking skills in a low-pressure, low-stakes environment.

Students will have the opportunity to choose ONE spelling list to focus on each week. In the classroom, we will talk about how to effectively choose a list that is a 'good challenge' - not so easy that it won't teach you any new spelling concepts, but also not so difficult that it's overwhelming. 

Each week, the spelling lists will focus on specific letter sounds, blends, or patterns, as they appear in words of different complexities. For example, the words this week are all intended to review short-vowel sounds, though the words on List A are simpler than those on List C. This approach lets me teach the whole class the same spelling concept, but give the students an opportunity to apply that concept at a level that works best for them.

The goal of spelling practice is not to memorize words, but to learn a wide range of common spelling patterns, which will then allow students to attempt to spell unfamiliar words more accurately. For example, a student who learns to spell 'hot' and 'rob', would hopefully be able to spell the unfamiliar word 'rot' as well, even though that specific word was not on their spelling list.

At the end of each week, we will have a Spelling Quiz. These quizzes are meant to be low-pressure opportunities for students to showcase their learning, and experience what it is like to study for and take a test.  

I do not use the marks in my report card grades! However, seeing how students perform helps me to teach better. If many students perform badly on a spelling quiz, it tells me that we need to spend more time on that concept. If an individual student has a tough time with a quiz, we might review that concept a bit more one-on-one.

Practicing for quizzes at home is completely optional. We will practice throughout the week in class. However, if you want to also practice at home, that can be a great way to boost your child's confidence and reinforce their learning. It's totally up to you. I will post the words each week on Friday.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Spelling List A (August 30 – Sep. 6)

hat	dot	pen	not	big
map	rug	vet	gum	him

 

Spelling List B (August 30 – Sep. 6)

flat	trip	drums	frog	must
will	land	golf	nest	bend

 

Spelling List C (August 30 – Sep. 6)

cannot	standing	event	ill	upset
extra	frosty	antlers	sticks	number

Friday, August 30

 Hi families,

Thank you for visiting the blog! The classroom blog is a great way to stay caught up with what we're doing in class, as well as upcoming events, field trips, volunteer opportunities, etc. I will do my best to update every day with a brief summary of the day's highlights. 

So far, we've had a wonderful start to the year. 

We've spent a lot of time going over classroom expectations and building routines, such as "Morning Math", and Daily LA. The students have completed writing and art work meant to help me and their classmates get to know them better. We did a journal writing task where students shared about their interests and things we have in common, as well as an art project where we made personalized hexagons and put them up like a big Catan board on the blackboard. 

 For Morning Math (math practice completed independently by students first thing each morning), we've focused on reviewing addition and subtraction, as well as multiplication and division for Grade 4s, or Grade 3's who are looking for a challenge.

My first impressions are incredibly positive. The students have been so kind to me and one another, and we haven't had any issues with clean-ups, noise, or work completion. In fact, they finished all the work so quickly today that I had to borrow an extra task from Ms. G next door. 

Today we had our first spelling lesson, which I will describe in detail in the next post.

It's going to be a great year. Please check back soon and have a nice weekend!

Zac