Running Head: THIRD GRADE SPELLING ASSESSMENT

Third Grade Spelling Assessment

READ 560
Hope Mounie
Longwood University

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ABSTRACT
This paper shows the results of a spelling assessment from a third grade class. The class

is made up of sixteen students. Based on student’s data I broke them up into groups based on

their developmental levels. I have three groups broken up between Within Word Pattern,

Syllables and Affixes and Derivational Relations. I do not have a Letter Name group. However,

there is one student who would benefit from a little more work in within word but he also

excelled in the late stage. If he needs extra support it will be provided. There are six students in

the Within Word group, six in the Syllable and Affixes group and six in the Derivational

Relations group. Each students will be assigned a word sort from Words Their Way in their

developmental stage to start instruction with.

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Class Overview

A third grade class of eighteen was given a Spelling inventory. The spelling inventory

had 25 words. Students were to spell the words the best they can. Not only did they get credit if

the word was correct but they also received credit of they got the correct features in the word.

These inventories are how teachers like myself place students in groups based on their

developmental stage. When students are in groups I am able to provide them with the resources

and instruction they need on their level. Once students are in a group does not mean they are

there for the whole year. With mastery and progress students can change groups anytime.

Teachers should give these Spelling Inventories a couple times a year. My class of eighteen was

split up into three groups. There are seven students in the Within Word group, five students in

the Syllable and Affixes group and six students in the Derivational Relations group. Each group

is assigned a word sort based on their targeted features.

Within Word Group

Caleb, Trevor B., Steven, Sam, Bridget, Anna and Kaylee are all in the Within Word

Group. Caleb has mastered the early stage and is now working in the middle stage. Which is

Long Vowel Patterns. Trevor and Steven also mastered the early stage of Blends and is now in

the middle Long Vowel Pattern. Sam and Bridget also mastered the early Blend stage and is in

the middle stage of Long Vowel Patterns. Anna and Kaylee have were successful in the early and

middle stages of Within Word. They are working in the late stage of other vowel patterns. They

both scored 4/5 in the middle stage missing one feature. They will still benefit from a review of

vowel patterns but they can also work with other vowels. Based on these students spelling

development it is more than likely they will be in the middle- late Transitional reading stage. All

of these students are working at or around the same level. However, Caleb is different. I am not

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sure if he just got mixed up or he was confused while taking this test. He scored a 3/6 in the Late

Diagraphs stage. This is not mastery. However, he did master the early stage of Within Word.

This is why I placed him here. I did not want to have him in a group by himself. If he needs extra

practice or clarification in diagraphs I will work with him one on one. It did not affect the next

section so it could have been a hiccup. I will continue to monitor him and his work and make

note of any issues. This group will start with a Long Vowel word sort. They will work with the

letter O. A majority of these group missed the word float. It was mainly them forgetting to put

the A but I want to start with O because it is a great example to show them the “magic E” hint.

The word sort also has long o with a like the word float they had. The Long O sort includes:

rope, woke, close, stone, bone, phone, broke, hole, vote, road, boat, soap, soak, moan, loaf,

coach, load, toast, blow, grow, know, slow, throw, snow, low, bow, flow, and two “oddballs”

now and cow. Since these students have high mastery rates on the stages before I can expect

them to work pretty quickly thought sorts spending no longer than a week on it. I do not see this

group needing any intervention. As always I will meet with each group weekly and monitor their

progress. If I do see and issue or an area of weakness I will intervene and come up with supports

to help the students. Since this is my lower group I will meet with them more than the other

groups. I will ask this group questions and do a model sort with them. If I had an EL learner in

this group I might start with a picture sort so the student can visually see it and manipulate it.

Syllables and Affixes Group

Molly, Brian, Dana, Natalie and Lexi are in my Syllable and Affixes group. Molly, Brian

and Lexi are all in the early Syllable and Affixes stage. They all passed the late Within Word

stage with 6/7. The early stage is Inflected Endings. They all scored 3/5 on this section. Dana and

Natalie scored a 4/5 in the early stage, scored a 5/5 in the middle stage of syllable juncture and

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now they will be working in the late stage of Unaccented Final Syllables. Unaccented Syllables

include –er in shower, -le in bottle and or in favor. The whole group will benefit with working in

the early stage with Inflected endings. It will help the two in the late stage understand endings

before final syllables. The sort I will give to this group is added –ed and –ing to base words. The

words include jump, hike, dress, wait, stop, pass, live and wag. They will add ed and ing to each

word. Since they have to learn the concept of dropping the e and doubling sometimes I can

expect this group to take a little longer. Adding –ed and –ing in serving and chewed tripped a

majority of the students in this group up. Students in this group are projected to be in the

Derivational Relations Stage by the end of the year. Based on their spelling inventory results it is

assumed that these students are reading at the middle intermediate level. I will also met with this

group and take notes of anything I notice. I will also ask questions and monitor their group work

and check sorts.

Derivational Relations Group

Lindsay, Ben, Callie, Edwin, Miguel and Trevor B. are all in the Derivational

Relations stage. Lindsay, Ben, Callie and Edwin are in the early stage. This is the Harder

Suffixes stage. Miguel and Trevor B. have mastered the early stage and now they are working in

the middle stage which is Bases and Roots. The harder suffixes that these students had the most

trouble with were –ure in pleasure, -ate in fortunate and –tion in opposition. They also used but

confused ant instead of –ent in the word confident. All but two students were able to get pos in

opposition. The sort this group will work with is adding –ion to words. The words are act,

distinct, select, and extinct, predict, subtract, contract, and affect. Since this group is the

advanced group I expect them to work quickly. However, the last stage is more difficult than the

others. Based on their spelling inventory they are in the early-middle advanced readers. Since

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this group is reading more advanced books they are being exposed to more complex words. For

an extension activity I would have them compile a list of words they can find in their books that

have –ion. Then they will have to find the base word. I would also have them make up their own

sentences using the words they find. Just because this group is the high group does not mean they

do not need monitoring and feedback. I will still meet with the group briefly to go over any

questions or monitor their sort. However, I will give this group more independence to work

together. All groups will be able to work together unless told otherwise. It is really important

students are able to talk about their thought process. Once students show mastery in a sort they

will move on to another one. Spelling inventories are so beneficial in the classroom. It allows us

to see where students are developmentally and where we need to differentiate instruction to meet

their needs. All teachers need to use this data to drive instruction.