By focusing on three critical features of words – their sound, spelling, and meaning, young students will begin to see similarities and differences in words with the goal of mastering reading and writing in this curriculum.
The heart of the Words Their Way Classroom program is a hands-on activity called sort, grouping words or pictures that represent sounds into specific categories. This task is done through teacher-directed instruction and independent work for additional practice. The package includes eight consumable Word Study Notebooks, an Implementation Guide, Teacher Resource Guide, and a 6-year access to the Pearson Realize Digital Package.
The colorful Word Study Notebooks contain a four-page lesson for each sorting activity, including picture and/or word cards for students to cut out, and a grid for students to sort and glue the cards. The Teacher Resource Guide provides comprehensive instruction and support to teach each sort or lesson in every notebook. The Digital Package contains the Big Book of Rhymes (poems with engaging illustrations), Interactive Sorts, writing sorts, word hunts, and sorting games. A card is included with the curriculum including instructions on accessing the online digital components.
Each daily lesson should take about 15-20 minutes. Day one begins with a rhyme or poem to introduce the pattern and sort. Students practice sorting words on day two, and on day three they connect this skill to a writing activity. On day four, a short story is read and students hunt for words and patterns. Day five concludes with an engaging word game. Overall, this newly revised curriculum is a complete word study program providing effective supplemental instruction in phonics, spelling, and vocabulary.