FALL 2023 Missouri Reader November 2023 | Page 18

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4. Independent work: provide a list of 6 words with long and short “o” from the ones students found or allow students to pick 6 from the list they would like to learn. Ask each student to write the words on another sheet of paper. (You can plan to test later in the week if you choose.)

5. Bring closure to the lesson: Discuss the importance of using their spelling B.E.E. and write on the board: B for brain (think first), E for ears (listen), E for eyes (look at the words). Describe for your learners how we first think of the word, listen to the sounds, then look for the letters to make that sound. Prompt children to think out loud about what they see and hear in a word. As a final check, ask them to look at the word they wrote. Does that look like a word they would see in a book?

With sixth graders I might do the following:

1. Introduce concept: Gather a small group of students needing instruction on long vowels in complex patterns (-igh; i+consonant+e-marker). Write 12 words on individual word cards. These might include slight, fertilize, scribe, higher, divide, fright, define, sighed, twilight, arrive, divide, and thigh. Again, be sure they can read the words. Go over each and take out any challenging ones. Explain they are to use their B.E.E. to sort these words by how they sound and are spelled. (You can choose to tell them they are all long “i” words or you can let them discover the patterns.)

2. Work collaboratively: The students will work together to sort the words and discover the ways long -i can be spelled. Encourage students to verbalize their rationale behind putting the words in the categories they did. Students should label each category they have created (for example, long -i, spelled “igh”).

3. Students generate other examples: Using a variety of texts (fiction, science texts,

mathematics texts, and so on – glossaries are especially helpful), students hunt for these patterns for the categories they have created.

4. Independent work: Have students select 6-8 words from the ones they sorted or from the ones they found in books. Ask them to write these in a list for study purposes. (You can plan to test later in the week if you choose.)

5. Bring closure to the lesson: Discuss with students how they have just looked at words

with multiple spellings for the same sound. Bring clarity by explicitly pointing out the

language features that were your objectives for this activity.

Final thoughts

As a reminder, the “Science of Reading” is not a philosophy, program, or curriculum. Instruction should be research based. Using a spelling inventory supports the Science of Reading in several ways. We can see the thinking our students use as they rely on their phonemic awareness, the phonics they have learned, and the orthographic mapping and vocabulary they have developed. Using the results of the inventories requires both a quantitative and qualitative analysis. By looking closely at what our students can do and what they can almost do (but not yet independently) throws a beacon of light on our next instructional moves.

References

Beers, J.W. & Henderson, E. (1977). A study developing orthographic concepts among first graders. Research in the Teaching of English, 11, 133-148.

Fresch, M.J. (2023). Stay calm. Teach. A conversation with Dr. Mary Jo Fresch. Episode 17: Schurtz and Ties: A podcast about education and culture. https://bit.ly/41otzzg

Fresch, M.J. & Wheaton, A. (1997). Thinking Aloud During Spelling Word Sorts. National Reading Conference 47th Annual Meeting. Scottsdale, AZ., December 1997.

Fresch, M.J. and Wheaton, A. (September 1997) Sort, search and discover: Spelling in the child-centered classroom. The Reading Teacher. 51, 20-31.

Fresch, M.J. & Wheaton, A. (2002) Teaching and Assessing Spelling: Striking the balance between whole-class and individualized spelling. New York: Scholastic. Now self-published on Amazon.

Henderson, E.H., & Beers, J . (Eds.). (1980). Develop- mental and cognitive aspects of learning to spell: A reflection of word knowledge. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Kilpatrick, D.A. (2020). How the Phonology of Speech is Foundational for Instant Word Recognition. Perspectives on Language and Literacy, 46 (3), pp. 11-15.

Read, C. (1971). Pre-school children’s knowledge of English phonology. Harvard Educational Review, 41(1), 1-34.

NOTE: for additional readings about spelling instruction, visit my website: https://maryjofresch.com. For books see Amazon Mary Jo Fresch

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Dr. Mary Jo Fresch is Academy Professor and Professor Emeritus of the Department of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University. She is a consultant and author providing professional learning workshops across the country. Fresch began her career as a 3rd grade teacher in Kent, Ohio. She taught adult literacy at the University of Akron and reading methods at the University of Nebraska (Lincoln). Dr Fresch continues to be active in the literacy world, has a webpage, and is a member of both the ILA and NCTE. Visit her webpage at https://maryjofresch.com