Kim, I love this idea! Our first grade team usually purchases Words I Use When I Write. It has the "sight" words and some other "important" first grade words. Budget cuts helped us decide not to purchase these again. I was wondering what I could do instead and something that was not too labor intensive for me. I might just try this Thanks so much for the idea! Diane On Aug 1, 2008, at 9:43 PM, kimberlee hannan wrote:
> Okay, > I have gotten several emails about this. I actually got it from a > fantastic > literacy coach I worked with a few years ago. > > The spelling folder is out all period (or all day for K-6) and used > for all > subjects. It does not go home. I have three goals by spelling > this way: > 1. I have watched the kids writing get totally stymied by trying > to spell > one word and all writing comes to a skidding halt. > 2. I want them to learn strategies to help them spell on their own. > Memorizing is NOT an effective strategy for most people. > 3. I want them to take the risk and try to spell a word, but still > ask for > help. > > Picture a regular manila file folder. > > No space goes to waste: Name is in the tab part. The very front > cover is > labeled *Unforgivables*. Both the right and left inside are labeled * > Individuals*. The back cover is labeled *History.* > > *Unforgivables* is a whole class shared list. These are those > *extremely > common* words that you think all kids should be able to spell by > now. These > are also words you notice are used and misspelled a lot. For your > little > ones it's mostly the dreaded "sight" words. > > When I introduce the folder and the *Unforgivables *list. I ALWAYS > start > with girl (gril), first (frist), and friend (freind). This is when > I teach > them the "Try It Out" spelling strategy.++ > > I show them the correct spelling, and I put the word on a chart > which is > kept posted. They copy the word correctly on the folder and have a > partner > on one side of them double check their spelling. It does them no > good to > have a word misspelled in their reference folder. I will dictate > several > words a day taking 5-8 minutes a day, tops. > > *Individuals* are ANY word they have tried to spell using "Try It Out" > strategy. More often than not they will bring the sticky they used > and ask, > "Is this the way you spell ----?" If it's right, they copy the > word onto > the list. If not, I do it for them. > > It's time consuming, especially at first, but it's useful and fun. > Especially when I walk around and kinda tease them, by pronouncing the > misspelled words phonically. We add more words along the way, by > need. By > the end of the year, it's a hefty list. > > By 7th grade, I do very little editing during Writer's Workshop. > It's mostly > peer editing. However, the kids turn in final drafts inside the > spelling > folder before typing. If I find two of the *Unforgivables* > misspelled, I > stop and mark where I stopped reading. I give it back to the > owners and > have them keep trying. Sadly, at the beginning, I only get through > 3-4 > lines before I return it. It's quickly improves especially if they do > enough partner editing. > > The *Individuals* list I will just give reminders for, tell them to > look on > their list. I may even add some to the spelling folder in another > color > for them to use to edit. I am not as strict about those words. > > The *History* section is for any words related just to the history > section. > If they are writing a paper for history, the theme words go here, > and the > regular words go in the proper place. > > With the small guys (K-3) I think I would nest two folders together > and > staple along the fold. I would divide the pages in half, both > front and > back, including both covers. In the corner of each half, they > could put, > AB, CDE, FGH, IJK, LM, NOP, QRS, TU, VW, XYZ. I would use the last > halves > for very common content words. That way they haven't got to search > all those > words to find the one they are looking for. > > For those who have never heard of the "Try It Out" strategy: On a > sticky > note the student tries three or four different spellings of a > tricky word. > They can usually tell which one is the correct spelling, or a > friend can. > I'd rather teach the kid a mini mini lesson than a whole word. I > can also > celebrate what the kid does right. "You were only off by one letter!" > > I get entirely too wordy about this stuff, sorry. But I hope it > helps. > > >> Kim >> ------- >> Kimberlee Hannan >> 7th CORE-ELA & WH >> Sequoia Middle School >> Fresno, California 93702 >> >> The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. ~Author >> Unknown >> >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> _______________________________________________ >> > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ > mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
