Important Information about our spelling program:

Dear Parents,

 

Students in my class will not receive a uniform weekly spelling test but rather an individualized spelling program. The goal of this program is to give each child individualized targeted spelling words that they need to learn.  This way, students are not wasting time on words that are too easy, already known or stressed out with words that are too difficult. 

 

At the beginning of school, I gave the students a “spelling game.”  The results of this game revealed each child as one of three types of spellers.  Phonetic spellers use their knowledge of sounds to create the word, i.e. eagle might be spelled egl.  First graders are expected to be phonetic spellers.  Transitional spellers know and apply some of the spelling patterns in our language, i.e. adding ed or ing to word endings… And Traditional spellers can spell almost as well as you or I.  If a speller is a mixture of two types, they are started on the more basic level so that they experience success in spelling and may change to a more advanced level later if appropriate. 

 

Every Monday, your child will be given a pre-test.  Any of the words that are spelled correctly on Monday (that’s great!) will not be on their spelling list.   These words will be based on the phonetic pattern of the week (i.e. /ough/ as in thought).    Since your child’s list is individual, every list is different.  PLEASE DO NOT LOSE THE LIST. 

 

 

The student's class binder is very important. 

It contains:

• Your child’s list, the weekly newsletter and general homework
• Spelling homework options
• Form that your child can use to write sentences containing their spelling work

I suggest keeping your child’s spelling folder in their binder and make a copy of the list for home use.  Look at the assignment options, decide which spelling homework option your child would like to do and turn in the assignment on or before Friday.  Spelling tests are given on Friday.  We test each child individually.  If you have any questions, please ask! This is going to be work intensive and I would love to have a few PALS volunteers help me give the pre-test on Monday and the individual spelling tests on Friday. Would you like to help? Thanks in advance!

                                                                                    Mrs. Cunningham