In keeping with the authors’ belief that the hands-on, word sorting approach to word study is invaluable to teachers and students alike, this volume presents prepared sorts and activities covering the full curriculum of word study for students who are in the emergent stage of spelling development. Complete with 26 sorts, and dozens of other activities and assessments, this book provides all of the resources needed to teach phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, initial letter sounds, concepts about print, and concept of word in text. Together, the Words Their Way core text and this supplement provide teachers with the knowledge and tools to meet the wide range of needs in today’s classrooms.
Words Their Way is a teacher-directed, student-cantered approach to vocabulary growth and spelling development where students from early years to junior secondary school engage in a variety of sound, pattern and meaning activities, sorting pictures and words. Words Their Way enables teachers to assess, clearly identify and document each student’s spelling stage, group students with common needs and tailor activities to improve students’ spelling knowledge.
The most popular of the Words Their Way books are listed below.
- Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction (Global Edition)
- Words Their Way: Letter and Picture Sorts for Emergent Spellers (Global Edition)
- Words Their Way: Word Sorts for Letter Name-Alphabetic Spellers (Global Edition)
- Words Their Way: Word Sorts for Within Word Pattern Spellers (Global Edition)
- Words Their Way: Word Sorts for Syllables and Affixes Spellers (Global Edition)
- Words Their Way: Word Sorts for Derivational Relations Spellers (Global Edition)
About the Author
Donald R. Bear is Professor Emeritus in Literacy and Director of Literacy Centers at Iowa State University and University the University of Nevada, Reno. A former elementary teacher, Donald currently researches literacy development with a special interest in students who speak different languages and he partners with schools and districts to think about how to assess and conduct literacy instruction.
Marcia Invernizzi is Henderson Professor of Reading Education in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. She and her multilingual doctoral students enjoy exploring developmental universals in non-English orthographies. A former English and reading teacher, Marcia extends her experience working with children who experience difficulties learning to read and write in numerous intervention programs, such as Virginia’s Early Intervention Reading Initiative and Book Buddies.
Francine Johnston is retired from the Department of Teacher Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she served as Director of Graduate Studies, Coordinator of the Reading Masters Program, and ran a clinic for struggling readers. Francine worked as a first grade teacher and reading specialist for 12 years before getting her doctorate at the University of Virginia where she first learned about a developmental approach to word study and worked with Dr. Marcia Invernizzi to develop word study materials and activities. She consults with school districts across the country and frequently serves as a professional development speaker. Francine is a co-author of many books, including Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction.
Shane Templeton is Foundation Professor Emeritus of Literacy Studies in the College of Education at the University of Nevada, Reno. A former classroom teacher at the primary and secondary levels, he has focused his research on the development of orthographic and vocabulary knowledge. He has written several books on the teaching and learning of reading and language arts and is a member of the Usage Panel of the American Heritage Dictionary.
Francine, Donald, Marcia, and Shane are the core authors of the Words Their Way® series.