Smart Spelling Changes--Interactive Spelling

What  major changes are you implementing this school year?  This summer I decided it was time for an overhaul of my spelling instruction.  I was searching for a curriculum/method of spelling that would best meet the needs of all my classroom learners.  I was excited when I found exactly what I was looking for at Teachers Pay Teachers: Jen Bengel's Interactive Spelling.

The first week of school I administered the pretest to my third and fourth graders.  From the results of the pretest, I divided my third and fourth grade classroom into 5 spelling levels.  

Because my fourteen third graders need much more structure and organization at this time of year, I thought hard about ways to organize Jen's program to best fit their needs.  Here is what I did.

First, I created a SMART Board program for the weekly lesson.  The students wrote down the objective in their spelling notebooks.  Then I used the website http://www.morewords.com/ to develop five levels of words that fit the weekly lesson.  I used 5 highlighter colors to show the word lists on my SMART Board. I listed more words than each group needed so that each student would have a choice of words. 

One slide of four for the spelling lesson.

After we read through the word list, I walked around the classroom and placed a color-coded sticker in each student's spelling notebook.

This sticker showed the student which level words to copy and how many words to eventually star and put on their own personal weekly list.  The student's lists ranged from 10-20 words this week.

My fourth graders wrote their words in their assignment books. They also made a second copy to keep at school.

My third graders copied the words they starred in their notebooks and wrote them on two lists.  The yellow list was sent home today to study, and the white list was put in their pocket on the Spelling Buddies Bulletin Board.

The students will use their words lists on this bulletin board to practice with their buddies during the week and to give the tests on Fridays.  

Even though the launching of this new spelling program took a great amount of time, I am so excited that I can best meet the needs to my students this year!  Throughout the year, my students will gain more control of the spelling program as they will be involved in the word choosing process.  They will also be adding other personal words to their lists-- words that I notice them misspelling in their writing. 

Check Jen Bengel's Interactive Spelling Program out at her TpT Store!  I am thrilled that I made the change!

Amy