Today we began our spelling program and vocabulary program! Your child has come home with his or her own spelling list. Because I do spelling a little differently than the other teachers in fourth grade, I would like to take this time to explain how each list works. Please keep this letter all year as a guide because, due to the way I differentiate the spelling, your child might come home with a different type of spelling list some weeks (yet, your child might have the same type of list all year long).
Whatever list your child has depends on one factor: his or her pre-test. Spelling units are two weeks long! Students will be given a pretest on Monday. On the first Monday of the cycle, students will be given the spelling homework packet. It is due that Thursday. During the second week, students should be studying their words. The spelling test is the second Friday of the cycle. I would rather your child truly learn the words rather than memorize them. Please help your child with this.
Mix up the studying! Make it fun! Here are some ways to study: Pick two colored markers. Have the student write the consonants in one color and the vowels in another. Notice any patterns. Have your child make word trees (we will be working on this in class soon and then your child can demonstrate it for you). Play Sparkle as a family! Make flash cards of the words. If they are the vocabulary words, put the definitions on the back. Mix up the way you study! Quiz your child by giving him/her the definition and he/she has to give the word and spell it. Have your child write a story that uses all of the words. Make sure the story makes sense!
The next Monday, we will start this process all over again! Reading all of this might seem confusing! Try the process out for a little while. If you are still having issues at home, feel free to contact me!
Because I differentiate the spelling lists (in order to ensure every student has success with spelling), there will be two different types of lists each week in the classroom, but your child will only have one spelling list for the two week. Here is an explanation of each. Here is an explanation of each:
Whatever list your child has depends on one factor: his or her pre-test. Spelling units are two weeks long! Students will be given a pretest on Monday. On the first Monday of the cycle, students will be given the spelling homework packet. It is due that Thursday. During the second week, students should be studying their words. The spelling test is the second Friday of the cycle. I would rather your child truly learn the words rather than memorize them. Please help your child with this.
Mix up the studying! Make it fun! Here are some ways to study: Pick two colored markers. Have the student write the consonants in one color and the vowels in another. Notice any patterns. Have your child make word trees (we will be working on this in class soon and then your child can demonstrate it for you). Play Sparkle as a family! Make flash cards of the words. If they are the vocabulary words, put the definitions on the back. Mix up the way you study! Quiz your child by giving him/her the definition and he/she has to give the word and spell it. Have your child write a story that uses all of the words. Make sure the story makes sense!
The next Monday, we will start this process all over again! Reading all of this might seem confusing! Try the process out for a little while. If you are still having issues at home, feel free to contact me!
Because I differentiate the spelling lists (in order to ensure every student has success with spelling), there will be two different types of lists each week in the classroom, but your child will only have one spelling list for the two week. Here is an explanation of each. Here is an explanation of each:
*If you missed 3 words or less on the pre-test, your spelling list will include: Bonus Words and Word Power Words.
*If you missed 4 or more words on the pre-test, your spelling list will include: The Weekly Spelling list, and the Bonus Words.
*If you missed 4 or more words on the pre-test, your spelling list will include: The Weekly Spelling list, and the Bonus Words.
Spelling List
Test on March 24 1. about 2. algebra 3. quiet 4. other 5. compare 6. thousand 7. happen 8. different 9. along 10. equator 11. dozen 12. animal 13. second 14. region 15. quarter 16. lecture 17. puncture 18. again |
Empowering Words Spelling List
Empowering Words List (missed 3 or less on the pre-test) Empowering Words 1. interpretation 2. soliloquy 3. hyperbole 4. innuendo 5. eloquent 6. succinct 7. colloquial 8. pseudonym 9. anticlimactic 10. picturesque |