in the K2 Classroom
Cheri Williams, with Colleen Phillips-Birdsong,
Krissy Hufnagel, Diane Hungler, and Ruth P. Lundstrom
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A Brief Description
of Word Study Instruction
Word study is an approach to spelling instruction
that moves away from a focus on memorization. The
approach reflects what researchers have discovered
about the alphabetic, pattern, and meaning layers of
English orthography. Teachers use a variety of handson activities, often called word work, to help students
actively explore these layers of information. When
studying the alphabetic layer, students examine the
relationship between letters and sounds. They learn
to match single letters and pairs of letters (e.g., ch)
to specific sounds and, in doing so, to create words.
When students study the pattern layer, they look beyond single or paired letter-sounds to search for larger
patterns that guide the grouping of letters (e.g., CVCe).
Studying the meaning layer helps students to understand how the English spelling system can directly reflect the semantic relationships across related words.
For example, students come to understand that the
second vowel in composition is spelled with an o because it is related to compose. Examining each layer
of the orthography helps students to see the regularities, patterns, and derivations in English wordshow
words work in our writing system. Word study also
teaches students how to use this word knowledge
strategically to support their spelling attempts during
writing activities and to help them decode unfamiliar
words while reading (Bear & Templeton, 1998). The
primary goal of word study is to support students development of a working knowledge of the orthographyknowledge that students can apply as they are
reading and writing.
A number of profe s sional book s t hat de scribe word study are available (e.g., Brand, 2004;
Cunningham & Hall, 1996). These texts provide a
scope and sequence of instruction, as well as myriad
activities, word lists, assessments, and organizational techniques to support word work in the elementary classroom. We used two of those books, Word
Matters (Pinnell & Fountas, 1998) and Words Their
Way (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2000),
to inform our research. The scope and sequence,
weekly schedules, word lists, and assessments in
Bear et al. (2000) were particularly useful, as were
many of the games. We also used many of the word
lists, games, and activities described in Pinnell and
Fountas (1998).
Theoretical Framework
We grounded our work in sociocultural theories
that view learning as a change in the ways learners
participate in specific, socially situated activities.
Sociocultural theorists believe that learning is inherently social and claim that children make sense of
recurrent school activities through observation, participation, and social interaction (Gee, 2001; Lave &
Wenger, 1991). Adults and more experienced peers
model and offer instruction and support (Rogoff,
1990). Gradually, through meaningful practice, children come to control specific knowledge and skills,
and they assume new roles and responsibilities within particular learning contexts (Cambourne, 1995;
Vygotsky, 1978).
Wertschs (1998) theory of mediated action was a
particularly useful frame. Wertsch argued that people
use mediational means, or cultural tools, to carry
out everyday action as well as mental action. He suggested that the use of mediational means shapes that
action in fundamental ways. We viewed word study
as a particular cultural tool (more precisely, a set of
tools). As a mediational means, word study could provide children certain affordances (p. 29)specific
orthographic knowledge and cognitive strategies
that would facilitate spelling during authentic writing
activities. Wertsch suggested that the use of such cultural tools results in changes in the learner as well
as transformations in the mediated action, in terms
of mastery and appropriation. For Wertsch, mastery
meant knowing how to use a cultural tool with facility (p. 50). Appropriation referred to making a mediational means ones own (p. 53). This framework
seemed especially appropriate for our projects, because our goal for the students was to learn to use
word study with facility as well as embracing its use
for independent writing.
Rogoffs (1990) theory of cognitive development
as an apprenticeship in thinking was also a useful
frame. Rogoff suggested that learners appropriate
the use of cultural tools through apprenticeship
by participating in activities with adults and more
experienced peers who scaffold the learners understanding of and skill in using specific cultural tools.
To provide our students a meaningful apprenticeship
in the use of word study as a mediational means, we
incorporated interactive writing lessons (McCarrier,
Fountas, & Pinnell, 2000) into three of our projects.
Interactive writing brings together children of varying
abilities, so more experienced peers can help support the apprentices growth.
A Brief Description
of the Research
In the first investigation (Beckham-Hungler &
Williams, 2003), we used the words Title I students
frequently misspelled in their journals as the basis for
word study instruction. We organized the misspelled
words into weekly spelling lists that focused on a specific orthographic feature or principle so that Diane
(teacher-researcher) could systematize her instruction and focus students attention on the concept to
be learned (see Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). For example, students frequently misspelled the words house,
about, our, and now, so Diane developed a weekly
spelling lesson on these two spellings of the /au/
sound. At the end of our project, we found that when
students reused the target words in their journals,
they spelled these words correctly 85% of the time.
More importantly, we were impressed by the number
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Figure 1
Strategies That Support Students Use of Word Study
1. Say the word slowly and listen for the sounds you
hear (initial sound, middle sound, final sound)
2. Say the word slowly and listen for any parts you know
(br in brought)
3. Clap the syllables and write letters for each part you
hear
4. Use words you know (fun and silly funny)
5. Use names you know (William will)
6. Use a rhyming word (rain train)
7. Use word families to spell related words
8. Think about different spelling patterns that can spell
the sound you hear (out vs. down)
9. Try it on a practice page and see if it looks right
10. Use a resource in the classroom (chart, word wall,
book, dictionary, calendar, words youve already
written)
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the case regardless of grade level or academic ability. Interestingly, students were more likely to use the
word wall as a resource for their writing when their
teacher used it as a teaching tool and also encouraged her students to use it strategically to support
their independent writing endeavors.
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