Notes on Spelling
We have started our spelling curriculum for this year, and I wanted to jot down a few notes about how it works here. Some things for the students to bear in mind:
- Each Wednesday, the students will receive a new list. They will also be tested on the previous week’s list. Those words that students spell incorrectly on the test will need to be practiced further. This is accomplished by asking students to write each word they miss five times. They will turn this in with the following week’s homework.
- Spelling homework for the week is also due on Wednesday. The assignment will always consist of a) writing the week’s words in alphabetical order on a separate sheet of paper, b) a second assignment related to the words, also to be completed on a separate sheet of paper, and c) the corrections from the previous week’s test.
- There are lines on each list after the words. Those lines are for students to practice the week’s words. I will NOT collect these practice sheets. They are for students’ reference only.
-If a student loses the list, there are always extras in the “EXTRAS” bin in our classroom.
-Because homework in spelling is assigned week-to-week, rather than day-to-day, students are responsible for pacing themselves throughout the week (welcome to 5th grade responsibility!). A student could do all the spelling the very night it is assigned, and not have any other spelling homework until the following Wednesday. He or she could also wait until Tuesday night to complete it all. However, I recommend a gradual approach, a little each evening, to familiarize students with the words and not overwhelm them with all that work in one night.
Good luck, and happy spelling!
