Spelling Highlights Week-by-Week
Weeks 1-4: Introduction to Basic Concepts in Spelling
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Week 17
Week 18
Week 19
Week 20
Week 21
Week 22
Week 23
Week 24
Week 25
Week 26
Week 27
Week 28
Week 29
Week 30
Week 31
Week 32
- Say/count/blend the sounds in the following words: me, do, and, go, at, on, a, it, is, can, run, in, so, no, man, ten, tan, tin, ton, bed, top, he, will, we, an, my, up, last, not, us, am
- Identify the positions on an analog clock (to know where to start/stop with the pencil when writing round "clock letters")
- Correct directionality when finger-writing (on a flat surface without a pencil) a circle that begins at two on the clock
- Say the sounds for the following phonograms (letters that begin at 2 on the clock): o, c, a, d, f, g, s, qu
- Finger-write (without a pencil) the phonograms listed above; this can be done in the air, in sand, on a flat surface, or on 5/8" lined paper
- Identify the top line, base line, and midpoint (on lined paper or chalkboard)
- Identify short/tall lines
- Demonstrate correct directionality when finger-writing short/tall lines (on a flat surface without a pencil)
- Identify beginning sounds in the following words: ten/tan/tin/ton, and/at/an, it/is/in, me/man/my, no/not, up/us, an/am, dad/dog, fad/fog, gag/gas, sad/sag
- Identify beginning sounds in two or more words as the same or different
- Identify ending sounds in the following words: ten/tan/tin/ton, go/so/no, me/be, and/bed, at/it/last, can/run/in/man, dad/fad/sad, dog/fog/sag
- Identify ending sounds in two or more words as the same or different
- Correct pencil grip
- Correct directionality when finger-writing (on a flat surface without a pencil) a straight line that begins at the midpoint and extends the same distance below the base line
- Read the following words "for spelling" (by individual sounds/syllables) and "for reading" (blending the sounds as pronounced in normal speech): dad/dog, fad/fog, gag/gas, sad/sag, bad/bag/bog
- Rhyming words have the same middle and ending sound -- dad/fad/sad, dog/fog, gag/sag
- Identify/say middle (medial) sounds in the following words: bad, bag, bog, dad, dog, gag
- General handwriting rules: All letters sit on the base line; For letters that begin at 2 on the clock, rounding conforms to the curve of the circle; Every round letter should fit on the same size clock; Lines begin at the top and are straight and parallel; All letters which go below the base line go the same distance below the base line as above it; Letters or parts of letters are of two sizes (they are either tall or short); Tall letters or tall parts approach but do not touch the line above; Short letters or short parts are half as high as tall letters (they begin at midpoint between the height of a tall letter and the base line); Dots and crossbars are tiny, formed just above the midpoint; crossbars are formed in the direction in which we write.
- Match words that have the same ending sound: dad/fad/sad, dog/fog/gag/sag
- Say/blend the sounds in: bad, bed, bid, bud, bag, beg, big, bog, bug, had, fed, hog, hid, top, he, will, we, an, my, up, last, not, us, am
- Say the sounds for the following phonograms (letters that begin with a line): b, e, h, i, u, j, k, l, m, n,
- Finger-write (without a pencil) the phonograms listed above; this can be done in the air, in sand, on a flat surface, or on 5/8" lined paper
- Write the following phonograms on paper: o, c, a, d, f, g, s, qu, b, e, h, i, u, j, k, l, m, n,
- Correct directionality when finger-writing (on a flat surface without a pencil) a horizontal line that begins at 9 on the clock and ends at 3
- Match words that have the same middle (medial) sound: bad/bag, bed/beg, bad/had, bed/fed, bid/big/hid
- Read the following words "for spelling" (by individual sounds/syllables) and "for reading" (blending the sounds as pronounced in normal speech): bad, bed, bag, beg, bog, had, bid, big, hid, hog, bug, hug
- Say/blend words that have the same vowel sound and ending sound: did/hid/bid, bug/hug
- A syllable is a single word (or a part of a word) that is pronounced by a single impulse of the voice
- Say the syllables in the following words: Ja son, An na, Jen na, Dil lon, Lin da, To ny
- Vowels are: a, e, i, o, u; every syllable must have a vowel; identify vowels in words
- All other letters are consonants; identify consonants in words
- Vowels say their first sound in the following words because they are followed by a consonant: bag, beg, big, bog, bug, had, hid, hog, hug, bed, top, will, an, up, last, not, us, am
- Vowels say their second sound in the following words because they are at the end of a syllable: go, a, so, no; we underline these vowels in order to show that they say their 2nd sound
- When a phonogram says a sound other than its first sound, we center the corresponding number above the phonogram; the number corresponds with which sound the phonogram is making (2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc)
- Correct directionality (in the direction we write) when finger-writing (on a flat surface without a pencil) a line that begins at the midpoint and slants to the base line (like in the letter x)
- Identify vowels/consonants in words like: mad/mud, lad/lid/log
- There are six features that are used to form alphabet letters
- We can analyze and evaluate our own handwriting
Week 5
- Phonograms: a, c, d, f, g, o, qu, s, u, p, r, t, v
- Handwriting Focus: All letters sit on the base line
- Vocabulary: me, do, and, go, at, on, a, it, is, can, run, in, so, no, man
Week 6
- Phonograms: a, c, d, f, g, o, s, qu, b, e, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, t, u, v, w, x, y, z
- Handwriting Focus: Tall letters begin just below the top line; short letters are half as high as tall letters
- Vocabulary: me, do, and, go, at, on, a, it, is, can, run, in, so, no, man
Week 7
- Phonograms: a, c, d, f, g, o, s, qu, b, e, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, t, u, v, w, x, y, z
- Handwriting Focus: Clock letters begin at 2 on the clock
- Vocabulary: hat, sat, him, sit, hit, sun, lot, hot, hug, box, fox, bog
Week 8
- Phonograms: sh, ee, th, ow, a, e, i, o, u
- Vocabulary: me, do, and, go, at, on, a, it, is, can, run, in, so, no, man
Week 9
- Phonograms: sh, ee, th, ow, ou, oo, ch, ar, a, e, i, o, u
- Vocabulary: me, do, and, go, at, on, a, it, is, can, run, in, so, no, man
Week 10
- Phonograms: sh, th, ow, ay, ai, oy, oi, ou, oo, ch, ar, a, e, i, o, u, c, g, s, y
- Vocabulary: me, do, and, go, at, on, a, it, is, can, run, in, so, no, man
- Phonograms: er, ir, ur, wor, ear, ay, ai, oy, oi, ou, oo, ch, ar, a, e, i, o, u
- Vocabulary: me, do, and, go, at, on, a, it, is, can, run, in, so, no, man
Week 12
- Phonograms: a, c, d, f, g, o, s, qu, b, e, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, t, u, v, w, x, y, z, sh, ee, th, ow, ou, oo, ch, ar, ay, ai, oy, oi, er, ir, ur, wor, ear
- Vocabulary: me, do, and, go, at, on, a, it, is, she
Week 13
- Phonograms: ng, ea, aw, au
- Vocabulary: me, do, and, go, at, on, a, it, is, she (students begin writing their weekly words in their Spalding notebook)
Week 14
- Phonograms: or, ck, wh, ed
- Vocabulary: can, see, run, the, in, so, no, now, man, ten, tan, tin, ton, bed, top
Week 15
- Phonograms: ew, ui, ck, wh, ed
- Vocabulary: he, you, will, we, an, my, up, last, not, us, am, good
Week 16
- Phonograms: oa, gu, ew, ui, ck, wh, ed
- Vocabulary: time, have, blue, chance, charge, little, are, ago, old, bad
Week 17
- Phonograms: ph, ough, oa, gu, ew, ui, ck, wh, ed
- Vocabulary: red, of, be, but, this, all, your, you, out, time, may, into, him, today, look
Week 18
- Phonograms: oe, ey, ph, ough, oa, gu, ew, ui, ck, wh, ed
- Vocabulary: did, like, six, boy, book, by, have, are, had, over, must, make, street, say, come
Week 19
- Phonograms: igh, kn, oe, ey, ph, ough, oa, gu, ew, ui, ck, wh, ed
- Vocabulary: hand, ring, live ("The cat caught a live mouse."), live ("Where do you live?"), hill, late, let, big, bag, beg, bog, bug, mother, three, land
Week 20
- Phonograms: gn, wr, igh, kn, oe, ey, ph, ough, oa, gu, ew, ui, or, ck, wh, ed
- Vocabulary: cold, hot, hat, child, ice, play, sea, see, bird, cool, earth, feed, fur, green, oil
Week 21
- Phonograms: ie, dge, gn, wr, igh, kn, oe, ey, ph, ough, gu, ew, ui, or, ck, wh, ed
- Vocabulary: paint, pool, tooth, teeth, worm, day, eat, sits, sit, lot, box, school, belong, door, floor
Week 22
- Phonograms: ei, eigh, ie, dge, gn, wr, igh, kn, ey, ph, ough, ew, ui
- Vocabulary: yes, low, soft, stands, stand, yard, bring, tell, five, ball, law, ask, just, way, get
Week 23
- Phonograms: ti, si, ci, ei, eigh, ie, dge, gn, wr, igh, kn, ey, ph, ough, ew, ui
- Vocabulary: home, much, call, long, love, then, house, year, to, I, as, send, alone, lone, one
Week 24
- Phonograms: ti, si, ci, ei, eigh, ie, dge, gn, wr, igh, kn, ey, ough, ew, ui
- Vocabulary: has, some, if, how, her, them, other, baby, well, about, men, man, for, ran, run
Week 25
- Phonograms: ti, si, ci, ei, eigh, ie, dge, gn, wr, kn, ey, ough, gu, ew, ui
- Vocabulary: was, that, his, led, lay, apple, ate, author, bread, brown, dog, eats, fast, food, jump
Week 26
- Phonograms: Choose 20 phonograms to review
- Vocabulary: sleep, wash, yellow, nine, face, miss, rides, ride, tree, sick, got, north, white, spent, foot, feet
Week 27
- Phonograms: Choose 20 phonograms to review
- Vocabulary: blows, blow, block, spring, river, planted, plant, cut, song, sing, sang, sung, winter, stone, free
Week 28
- Phonograms: Choose 20 phonograms to review
- Vocabulary: lake, lace, page, nice, end, fall, went, back, away, paper, put, each, soon, came, Sunday
Week 29
- Phonograms: Choose 20 phonograms to review
- Vocabulary: show, Monday, moon, yet, find, give, new, letter, take, Mr. = Mister, after
Week 30
- Phonograms: Choose 20 phonograms to review
- Vocabulary: thing, what, than, its, his, her, it's = it is, very, or, thank, dear
Week 31
- Phonograms: Choose 20 phonograms to review
- Vocabulary: west, sold, told, best, form, far, gave, alike, add, brave, corn
Week 32
- Phonograms: Choose 20 phonograms to review
- Vocabulary: dance, dinner, doll, egg, fruit, looks, pick, rich, zoo, zip, zero