Spelling & Vocabulary
I have tried a lot of different approaches to Spelling and Vocabulary, but have not been completely happy with them. They either feel disconnected from reality or are not, in my opinion, the most vital words for kids to master. I have also found that after a spelling test, missed words are simply forgotten as they get the next week's list. This year, I am refining a model I tried last year that I liked better than previous approaches.
In this model, my students have been given a list of "most commonly misspelled words of college freshman." It seems to me that mastering these words would serve my students better than most spelling lists. (In case your child's list is lost, the document can be be downloaded from the Links & Docs page.) To help master the words, I've told the kids that they cannot escape a word. Every misspelled word goes on their list for the next week. (And last year, some had them a word on their list for many weeks. :-) This, of course, means that each list is personalized, which requires them to take their tests with partners.
Here is the weekly routine:
1. Weekend Homework: Assemble that week's list of 10 words from master list. In notebook, each word spelled correctly, add: part of speech, dictionary definition, and a sentence. Example:
competent: (adj) having requisite or adequate ability or qualities.
After my correspondence course, I felt that I was competent to become a professional lion tamer.
One comment about the above definition. Kids must know the meaning of every word they write down (otherwise, what good will it do them?). So, in the above example, if they did not know the meaning of the word "requisite," they could not include it in the definition. They would need to look it up and then use it or use a synonym that they know.
2. Monday: Mr. Slaughter checks your spelling/vocab for completeness.
3. Friday: Spelling test in pairs. Copy any misspelled words as the first ones on next week's list. (Be sure to copy them down CORRECTLY or you will likely memorize them incorrectly.)
In this model, my students have been given a list of "most commonly misspelled words of college freshman." It seems to me that mastering these words would serve my students better than most spelling lists. (In case your child's list is lost, the document can be be downloaded from the Links & Docs page.) To help master the words, I've told the kids that they cannot escape a word. Every misspelled word goes on their list for the next week. (And last year, some had them a word on their list for many weeks. :-) This, of course, means that each list is personalized, which requires them to take their tests with partners.
Here is the weekly routine:
1. Weekend Homework: Assemble that week's list of 10 words from master list. In notebook, each word spelled correctly, add: part of speech, dictionary definition, and a sentence. Example:
competent: (adj) having requisite or adequate ability or qualities.
After my correspondence course, I felt that I was competent to become a professional lion tamer.
One comment about the above definition. Kids must know the meaning of every word they write down (otherwise, what good will it do them?). So, in the above example, if they did not know the meaning of the word "requisite," they could not include it in the definition. They would need to look it up and then use it or use a synonym that they know.
2. Monday: Mr. Slaughter checks your spelling/vocab for completeness.
3. Friday: Spelling test in pairs. Copy any misspelled words as the first ones on next week's list. (Be sure to copy them down CORRECTLY or you will likely memorize them incorrectly.)