Differentiated Instruction in Spelling

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Differentiated Instruction in Spelling
By Debbie

Hi all,
Another resource for spelling is 'Words Their Way'. You assess their developmental spelling stage, then target words that are appropriate for them. These are in addition to the ideas mentioned of high frequency
words, words from their writing, etc. I used Word Matters for some of the groups this year, but this book goes farther. It's a bit of a juggling act on the first day to model the various minilessons but worth the effort.
A spelling notebook of about 40 pages (there are ones that are sewn, just like the marble composition books, just a smaller size and number of pages) works

well, the front is for weekly words, the pages are folded in half for two word lists on each page. In the back, the last 13 pages can be used as an ongoing personal dictionary, by labeling the pages from A-Z, then recording their words on the appropriate pages. A volunteer could easily do this at home on the weekend.
Mine have between 10-15 words depending. Remember all these are words the child is learning for the first time, so you might find that 20 is too many. (In a traditional program with everyone doing the same words, most children would have some they can already spell.) You'll start with words that are closest to being conventional, then move on to the more complex ones as they become more proficient. Best of luck all!!! ;-D