What's All This About Sorting Words

Sorting words as a way to learn how to spell might be new for some and for others, a routine assignment that has been practiced by your child since the beginning of the Kindergarten. We would like to share with you the hows and whys of sorting words in hopes that you will support your child at home with their word study.



WHAT IS IT
Word sorts are highly effective in teaching students to find patterns that make decoding easier. Word sorts are used extensively to teach concepts from elementary word families to more sophisticated language concepts. Word sort exercises enable students to more easily recognize word families, which helps in decoding new words with similar patterns. (Source http://www.literacyconnections.com/WordsTheirWay.php)

Students are engaged in hands-on learning activities involving a select group of words that follow certain spelling patterns, or rules. By analyzing and grouping these words in different ways, students should begin to develop an understanding of the rules of spelling for the English language.

HOMEWORK RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Demonstrate an ability to sort words into word families by identifying word patterns
2. Practice reading words in the word family sort accurately and fluently
3. Spell words in the word family sort correctly
4. Record your sorts
5. Find the patterns within the word by, first, finding the vowels. Look at the consonants around the vowels to identify patterns. For instance, this week’s pattern is CVC. (C = Consonant, V = Vowel, C = Consonant)
6. Word Chunks: Find the word chunk in your word (if there is one). If you can spell that word, what other words can you spell—using that same letter pattern? Write them down. Do this for each of your words. (e.g., “bat” – cat, hat, sat, acrobat)
7. Sort the words by phonics- short a, short e, etc.
8. Word Frames: Draw a letter frame around each letter in your word. Pay attention to the tall letters, short letters and letters with tails.
9. Acrostic Spelling: Write your words in one column. On the lines next to them, write words that start with each letter in your word. (For example: shoe = sale, hat, old, end)
10. Word Building: Take the root word of your word and add prefixes and/or suffixes to the word to build a new word. (For example: write: overwrite, writing, writer, writes, rewrite, etc.)
11. Make a set of flashcards to help study your words.
12. Write your words using one color for vowels and another color for consonants.
13. Write each word in special letters. (Bubbly, squiggly, block, etc.)
14. Write a letter to a friend using all of your words.
15. Write a rhyming word for each word.
16. Design a bookmark and write your list of words on the bookmark.
17. Write your words inside different shapes.
18. Classify words using parts of speech.
19. Put your words into question or exclamation sentences. (One word per sentence) Watch your punctuation!
20. Write each word neatly in cursive 2 times (Only after we have learned all the cursive letters
21. Write your words 3 times each
22. Write your words in alphabetical order
23. Write your words in reverse alphabetical order
24. Illustrate your words (write the word under the picture)
25. Divide your words into syllables
26. Rainbow write your words (please use colored pencils)
27. Get CREATIVE! Create a way to practice your words and bring us proof!

Happy sorting!