First Grade Spelling

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2001 : August : 24

First Grade Spelling
By Amanda K.

In my school, we begin giving spelling tests to first graders in the second week of school. We are using the Rebecca Sitton spelling program, which identifies key sight words that students need to spell right in all writing,
not just tests. The 100 words that our students need to know in the first grade are also the sight words that they are required to know for the district assessments. These words are our Word Wall words, and we do review activities with these words every day. While I do not specifically let the students know that they can look at the Word Wall during a test, the option is open. Most

students who use it soon wean themselves off of it because it's easier to know the word than it is to keep looking up at the wall to spell it. Incidentally, my Word Wall covers half of a wall in my room, and it is the focal point of the room.

I also send the spelling words home for daily homework practice, and I have a list of activities that the students can choose. This is our third week of school, and I only had 2 students use the wall on today's test. All but 4 of the students had 100%, and the other four are coming along well from last week's test. In about three weeks, I will begin giving short dictation sentences to the kids... all part of the program. They struggle with that the first couple of weeks, but after that, you would be amazed at what they can turn out. After my experiences with this program I wholeheartedly believe that spelling tests at this level are important.