Spelling this year may be different
than the way you've done it in the past. In our classroom, we have differentiated spelling tests. Years ago,
when I was student teaching with a teacher named Mrs. Ames I learned a great way to make sure that each student was taking
a spelling test on their own level.
On Monday's we will all take the same pretest. Each
student will get tested on 12 total 'basic' words. When I grade the pretests that afternoon, I will highlight the words
that the student misspelled. I will only highlight the first ten incorrect words. If they got all 12 'basic' words
on their spelling test correct, then I will highlight the first 10 'challenge' words at the bottom of the pretest. Or
if they only missed 4 of the 'basic' words on the spelling pretest, I will highlight those 4 words and then 6 'challenge'
words. Every student has 10 spelling words a week. However, I do encourage all
students to try as many of the challenge words that they can, even if they are not part of their 10 highlighted spelling words
for the week. Monday morning the students will write their spelling words in their agenda books. So that
they know their spelling words for the week.
Each student will use their 10 words to complete 3 or more
spelling activities from the choices at the link above and a practice test. A list of choices
will also be posted in the homework section of their APPLE Notebook. Each Friday the spelling notebooks
are due, with the 3 activities the student chose to complete & their practice test. Each
activity in the notebook is to have a title at the top of the page. If it is an activity that could not be done in the
notebook, you would just write the title of what you chose to do. I also ask that an adult sign the practice
test to show me that they have seen the 3 activities their child chose and how they did on the practice test. Please
encourage the student to use one side of the page in their notebook per activity and not to skip any pages. (unless they are
just writing the name of the activity)
Spelling homework will be completed during work study on Friday afternoon if I have
not received their spelling homework that morning.
On Friday, I will call out all of the words as I did on Monday but this time the
students only have to write their highlighted words when called. They will know this by seeing highlights on their
test paper Friday. If they got all 12 'basic' words correct on Monday's pretest, then they will wait until I get to
the 'challenge' words. I give each of their highlighted words spelled correctly 2 points. If they tried a 'challenge'
word or 'bonus' word that was not one of their highlighted words and get it correct, they get one extra credit point.
Friday afternoon, I will grade the spelling tests and put them on the next blank
page of their spelling notebooks to show you their progress from the week. Please sign Monday night and return by Tuesday.
Below you will find a copy of the first few spelling
lists. You will see what they look like on Monday. Monday's pretest and Friday's final spelling test are all on
one page. On Monday morning the students look over the words for the week and we discuss their patterns. The students
then fold over the 'basic' spelling words so they can't see them. I walk around and call out each word. When we
are done, they put their pencils down and may quickly look over how they did as I collect them. I then highlight the
first 10 words they misspelled on the 'basic' list and then over to the right on Friday's test. Finally, I cut
the paper in half. We put the pretests in the spelling notebook Monday and the second half of the paper is Friday's
test that I put in their notebooks at the end of the week.
You may download an extra test if your child would
like to take a practice test or if they have misplaced your list. Keep in mind that they do not have all of the
words on the list. Their personal spelling lists depends on how they did on Monday's pretest. However,
I do encourage them to try extra challenge words.
