My Spelling Program

I decided to hook up with my friend Denise's Linky Party.  She always has lots of good stuff going on with her blog!!!


We use the program Words Their Way which is full of details and word cards that can be used with kids.  In 2nd grade, we mainly work on patterns inside of words, prefixes, and suffixes.  

With this program I have 4 different spelling groups that I test through multiple choice tests and just looking at their writing.  Sometimes we play Spelling Swamp to see who can hang on the longest and stay in the 'hut'.  

Last year we used Fountas and Pinnell's spelling and I had 24 different lists going in my room!!  I had partners and the kids would test themselves, but if I found a cheater amongst the group, I tested them and they had to move their behavior clip.

I am most excited about how we do spelling homework because the kids have several choices in deciding what they want to do.  Thursday nights are cool spelling night and the kids get to decide what kind of 'creation' that they want to keep.  This hear we've had all sorts of cakes and brownies with spelling words written on them, spelling shirts, mobiles, you name it.

I hope this helps explain a little of what I do with spelling.  I will do a much more detailed post soon!  Now, if you want to go read other blog posts about spelling, just click on the button below!

Continuum of Literacy Correlation with CCSS

If you haven't purchased this book, then you need to.  If you have purchased it, you need to take a look at this website to see how the authors have correlated the book to the CCSS standards.  I just found it so I haven't even had time to print it myself!  I would say both of these fall under the category of 'must haves' in teaching.

Fountas and Pinnell Update Guided Reading Levels

I get updates from Heinemann Publishing because we are great friends....actually, most of you know that I am addicted to professional books and all, so I get updates on new books so that I can send them my money.  Anyway, I got an update today letting me know that Fountas and Pinnell have issued a new 'standard' for the guided reading levels in comparison to grade levels.  You can read the article yourself HERE. The change came about in order to make sure that reading and comprehension are DEEPER, just like the expectations of common core.

Comprehension and Fluency, Annoying Cinderella, and a FREEBIE!

The new push in my district is to 'teach within the text, 'teach about the text' and 'teach above the text' in order to improve comprehension.  They even flew Irene Fountas in the train the administrators.  The two books below have become a literacy reference for the many that are striving to put best practices into their classroom and improve both fluency and comprehension.  I have to tell you that I have only read the book below and it is jam-packed with theory and practical application and more ideas than you can try in one year!  The yellow book was recommended to me by a friend of mine and I hope to get this one as a 'summer read'....yes I confess, I am a book junkie.  But, it has served me well!  One recommendation I have for all teachers that use Pinterest--start a board based on good reading materials that are based on best practices to spread the wealth of knowledge that all teachers need!  You can even go back through my posts and pin the ones I have reviewed in earlier posts to make it easy!

Comprehending and Fluency Fountas and Pinnell K-8

Comprehending and Fluency Foutas and Pinnell K-2

Comprehending and Fluency Foutas and Pinnell k-2



Have you been to goodreads.com??  Apparently everyone but me has!  But just in case you haven't, you might want to check it out.  It is a haven for the constant reader!!

My team and I are just now ending our unit on Cinderella Around the World. I LOVE this unit!  I am so sad to see it drop down to the first grade teachers.  My kids have had a blast and I plan to write the unit up more formally and share all of the great ideas my team has had.  Today, we read Seriously, Cindrella is  Sooo Annoying and my kids loved it!  They were very upset that Cinderella was portrayed as a lunatic...one of my students described Cinderella as 'muy loco' today.  He was not happy about it!  So apparently some of my boys have grown quite fond of 'Cindy' also!

Until tomorrow!!!