Jessica Siegel Spelling Inventory Assessment March 14, 2013

The purpose of this assessment was to assess students spelling abilities using a diagnostic assessment. As students become more literate, they are able to recognize, read, say and spell new words. Students can be classified, or grouped in different stages of spelling ability. At the very beginning of the spectrum are emergent spellers, which is the level at which most of the students I met with were. According to the Developmental Continuum for Vocabulary/Word Study, emergent spellers are usually preschool age to age 7. I made my observation in a kindergarten classroom and met with individual students in the hallway to find my data. I chose to find my data while students had down time after lunch. I called individual students into the hallway where we sat at a small table. I placed the Spelling Inventory Recording Form in front of them, while I had the Words Their Way Elementary Spelling Inventory Feature Guide in front of me. I told the students that I wanted to see how well they could spell words. I slowly read the words to them, making sure they had completed the word before moving on to the next one. I usually repeated the word a second or third time, or more if students needed it. I chose to repeat the words as many times as necessary because it could be difficult for students to understand exactly which word I am asking for since the words are given in isolation and have no context to help identify the meaning of the words.

I found that out of the 4 students I assessed, 1 student was definitely still in the emergent stage, 1 student was at the end of the emergent stage, beginning the letter name stage, and 2 students were in the within word pattern stage. 1 student in the within word pattern stage was completely competent in the blending of words, struggled with long vowels, but was mostly competent at other vowels. The other student who was in the within word pattern stage was completely competent in the blending of words, and in long vowels but was still working on other vowels. The Words Their Way Elementary Spelling Inventory Feature Guide gave me the opportunity to analyze what errors students made and to question why they might have made those errors. This assessment allowed me to see what students know and what they dont know and therefore, if it were my own classroom and students, it would be my responsibility to maximize their growth and give them everything necessary to do so as it is my cooperating teachers duty now. In order to provide valuable instruction for these students, it is imperative that I implement a great deal of instruction that focuses on emergent and letter name stage spellers. Even though most students are in the emergent stage of spelling, it is worthwhile to continue implementing different tasks and instructions that foster this development and that help continuous growth in this area. It is also important for higher level students to get some instruction that focuses on letter name stage and the within word pattern development. While instruction that is focused on letter name stage and within word pattern may be too advanced for some students, they will at least be introduced to it, while higher students and students in the middle can still benefit from the lessons and activities provided by the teacher.

During readers/writers workshop, it is important for students to work both independently, and with other students in the class. For the activities in which they work independently, it is important to have a word study that is appropriate for each student. Students who are emergent spellers will have a different set of words for their word study than students who are in the within word pattern stage of spelling. Students can keep an envelope in their desk or in their cubby with their word study activity. Once it becomes to easy for the student, they can get a higher level word study to work on.