Spelling Words, Here We Come!

*This will also be sent home on a bright orange sheet with your student's homework sample attached.

How Spelling is Taught in the Classroom and Spelling Homework Guidelines*

Please read the following thoroughly and carefully.

Using the Riggs methodology we teach spelling in a very specific manner. This specific method is used to teach children how to break down words into manageable parts, examine them for spelling rules, and to spell them with ease. This method will seem awkward to parents as first, but I promise that it is incredibly effective and soon your children will know more about the inner workings of the English language than you ever imagined.

In the classroom we introduce 3 – 5 new words each day. Each new word is taught explicitly in the following manner:

1. The teacher says the word. Students repeat the word.
2. The teacher uses the word in a sentence. She then asks students to use it in a sentence.
3. For one syllable words, the teacher now asks the students what the first sound they hear is in the word. They write the phonogram for that sound down on a practice piece of paper. They follow this pattern, saying the word and identifying what sound is heard, and writing it down until they reach the end of the word.
4. They then read the word again.
5. Now the students spell the word back to the teacher. As they spell the word, the teacher writes each phonogram on the board.
6. The class now analyzes the word for any markings. If there are markings, they identify what the marking is and why they mark it that way.
7. Students now check their practice paper to make sure that their word matches what the teacher has on the board, adding any markings. These words are now placed in their Riggs notebook.

Students will now practice these words at home. Homework should look and sound like this:

1. Remember, students should always use their very best handwriting the very first time.
2. Student takes a piece of Riggs paper and folds in thirds. The Riggs paper is specially designed for students of this program. The dotted middle line is essential for excellent penmanship.
3. The student writes the proper heading comfortably close to the read margin line, with markings: Full name on the second baseline, full date on the third baseline, and the subject (Riggs Homework) on the fourth baseline.
4. In the first column, the student will say the first spelling word. They say the word out loud. They then identify and say the first sound and write it. They then say the word, identify and say the second sound and write it. They continue this pattern until they have completed the word. Parents should hear the word and its sounds being said the entire time. It is essential that they practice breaking the word down into its smallest sounds in order to build the skills they will need to attack larger and more difficult words later.
5. After the word is spelled correctly, the student then analyzes the word for markings. The student marks the word.
6. When they have completed the first word they go to the next base line and repeat this pattern for the second word. They do this for the third through fifth words, as well as any missed words (which will have a pencil check-mark next to them).
7. Now they turn to the second column and repeat this entire process again. What we do NOT want is a child writing the same word 4 – 6 times in a row. This does not teach them to break down the word, it teaches them to memorize.
8. They will repeat this process for the third column. After students have built up a written vocabulary of 50 or so words, they will begin using these words in sentences on the bottom half of the sheet. Sentence expectations become increasingly higher as we go along. To begin with sentences must have at least four words. All words must be marked correctly.
9. After the student has written each word three times (and completed their sentences when applicable), the student should read each word (and sentence) out loud. After the student understands why and how we spell, write and mark each word correctly, memorization through reading and seeing the word is a natural next step.

Daily Spelling Tests and Missed Words

After students have studied their words at home, by writing them three times each while saying each sound, we have a spelling test. Each day there will be a spelling test. The first test will be on the words we learned on day 1. After the test of day 1’s words, they will learn 3 – 5 new words. On day 2 they will practice only the new words and any words they missed on the test from day 1 (which will have a pencil check-mark next to them). On day 3 they will be tested on the words from day 1 and from day 2. They will learn 3-5 new words and practice those words for homework plus any words they got wrong on the test on day 2. This process continues until their test is up to 15 words. When they have 15 words, we drop off the first 3-5 when we add the next 3-5, keeping each test at 15 words total. It is essential that students complete the spelling homework each night in order to not get behind and find themselves struggling. With your help at home, now and in future grades, students will learn several thousand new words and gain the knowledge necessary to spell thousands in years to come. It is an exciting process and one I am looking forward to starting with the class!

Thank you,

Mrs. Varis