Words Their Way Word Sorts for Derivational Relations Spellers

Responses from the field

A strength of each chapter is the Notes for the Teacher section that introduces each set of sorts.  This reminds teachers about developmental appropriateness and pacing variations based on learner needs.  Clearly the gradual release of responsibility model of guided instruction is promoted and reinforced throughout the text.

Barbara Pettegrew, Otterbein College

Chapter layout is excellent.  Format is designed to include anything that might be needed for the lesson, and each takes you step by step through the process being taught, allowing time for students to internalize and firm up the skills and strategies.

Susan K. McCloskey, California State University, Fresno

Meet the Authors Shane Templetonis Foundation Professor of Literacy Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. A former classroom teacher at the primary and secondary levels, he researches the development of orthographic and vocabulary knowledge. Francine Johnston is Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she teaches reading, language arts, and children's literature. A former first-grade teacher and reading specialist. Donald Bear is Director of the E.L. Cord Foundation Center for Learning and Literacy at the University of Nevada, Reno, assessing and teaching students who experience difficulties learning to read and write. A former preschool and elementary teacher, Donald currently researches literacy development with a special interest in students who speak languages other than English, and he partners with schools and districts to consider assessment and literacy instruction. Marcia Invernizzi is Director of the McGuffey Reading Center at the University of Virginia exploring developmental universals in non-English orthographies. A former English and reading teacher, Marcia works with children experiencing difficulties learning to read and write in intervention programs such as Virginia's Early Intervention Reading Initiative and Book Buddies

Unit III: The Suffix -ion

Sort 14 Adding ion to Base Words, No Spelling Change

Sort 15  Adding ion and ian, no spelling change

Sort 16  Adding ion; e-drop and Spelling Change

Sort 17  Adding ation, -cation, and ition

Assessment for Sorts 14 - 17

Unit IV:  Spelling-Meaning Patterns

Sort 18  Consonant Alternation

Sort 19 Vowel Alternation Long to Short

Sort 20 Vowel Alternation Long to Short/Schwa

Sort 21 Adding Suffixe -ity: Vowel Alternation, Schwa to Short

Sort 22 Vowel Alternation, Long, Short, and Schwa

Sort 23 Adding -ion: Vowel Alternation Spelling Change

Sort 24 Multiple Vowel Alternations

Assessment for  Sorts 18 - 24

Unit V:  Greek and Latin Elements I

Sort 25 Greek Number Prefixes  mono- , uni-, bi-, tri-)

Sort 26 More Number Prefixes

Sort 27  Greek and Latin Elements: Size (micro-, mega-, super- hyper-)

Sort 28  Greek Roots (tle, phon, photo, graph)

Sort 29 More Greek Roots (geo, therm, scope, meter, logy)

Sort 30 Latin Roots  (spect, port, form)

Sort 31 Latin Roots  (dic, aud, vis) 

Sort 32 Latin Roots  (gress, rupt, tract, mot)

Sort 33 Latin Roots  (fract, flect.flex, ject, mist./mit)

Sort 34 Latin Roots  (man, scrib/script, cred, fac)

Assessment for  Sorts 25 - 34

Unit VI:  Greek and Latin Elements II

Sort 35  Latin Roots  (duc/duct, sequ/sec, flu, ver/vert)

Sort 36  Latin Roots ( bene, mal) and Prefixes (ante-, post-)

Sort 37 Greek and Latin Elements: Amount (magni, min, poly, omni)

Sort 38 Greek and Latin Elements: Body (cap, corp, dent/dont, ped/pod)

Sort 39 Greek and Latin Elements: (terr, astr/aster, hydra/hydro, bio)

Sort 40 Latin Roots (gen, mort, bio)

Sort 41 Latin Roots (ven/vent, junct, spir, sec/sect)

Sort 42 Latin Roots (jud, leg, mod, biblio)

Assessment for Sorts 35 - 42

Unit VII:  Greek and Latin Elements III

Sort 43  Latin and Latin Roots (voc, ling/lang, mem, psych)

Sort 44 Greek and Latin Roots (path, sens/sent, med/medi, sol)

Sort 45  Prefixes (intra-, inter-, intro-, circum-)

Sort 46  Latin Roots  (press, pur/purg, fus, pend)

Sort 47  Latin Roots  (pos, loc, sist, sta/stat/stit)

Sort 48  Latin Roots  (ced/cess/ceed, ten/tend, lit)

Sort 49  Predictable Spelling Changes in Word Roots (ceive/cept, tain/ten, nounce/nun)

Assessemnt for Sorts 43 -  49 

Unit VIII: Advanced Spelling-Meaning Patterns

Sort 50 Suffixes (-ent/-ence, -ant/-ance)

Sort 51 Suffixes (-ent/-ence/-ency, -ant/-ance/-ancy)

Sort 52 Suffixes  (--able, -ible)

Sort 53 Adding&nbs...