| Spelling |
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The Formal Spelling Program |
The Sitton Spelling program is used school wide at Copper Creek. Students are slowly introduced and held accountable for fifteen "no excuse" words and introduced to thirty core words.
This spelling program may be different from what you've come to expect as "spelling". Instead of weekly lists of words to memorize, this program emphasizes the learning of important words, not for a Friday Test, but for a lifetime of spelling in the real world--that is spelling correctly in writing.
This lifetime spelling ability grows over time. It grows through skills instruction (phonics, word origins, spelling rules, usage, etc.), through your child's everyday writing, and through word study on specific words your child has not yet mastered.
Weekly tests are not given.Random samples are taken from daily work, hoping to give a more accurate picture of a child's true spelling perfomance. Dictation tests are given every three weeks, starting in October. These dictation tests are not something that the student is expected to study at home for. A student can choose to study the theme words or content words that have been added to provide additional challenge.
Students are given a Primary Spelling Inventory Test in August, January, and May. This test indicates what spelling patterns the child has in place. Spelling patterns are taught during the Working With Words block.
Chunk word tests are given once a week. Students are expected to practice spelling these words at home.
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First Grade Priority Words |
These are the "No Excuse" words! We use them to practice proofreading in writing. They are the highest frequency words on a frequency of use list of writing words. Students are always held accountable for these words in their writing. They designate a minimum competency for spelling accountability.
the,of,and,a,to,in,is,you,that,it,he,for,was |
First Grade Core Words |
As we learn to spell these words, we use them to build skills and to make more words. These are words with frequencies 1-35.
a,all,and,are,as,at,be,but,by,for,from,
had,have,he,his,I,in,is,it,not,of,on,one,
that,the,they,this,to,was,were,what,when,with,you
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