Vocabulary Their Way

I first heard about the Words Their Way series when I went on exchange to Mexico and had the opportunity to take a class from a visiting Western Washington State University professor, who also exposed me to my first experience with a writer's notebook. This year I tried it out for the first time with my 6th graders. While I am still working out some kinks and getting myself organized, I was pleased with the results. Having students receive instruction at their level was empowering for them. I pre-ordered Vocabulary Their Way: Word Study with Middle and Secondary Students as soon as I heard about it.

When I started reading it I was in the mind frame of it influencing ways to improve the way I was implementing Words Their Way, but I ended up realizing that it will encompass so much more. First, I was thrilled to see that there is a new upper-level spelling inventory, along with many other assessments to closely analyze older students' vocabulary awareness. This week will be our last week of summer school. I have around half of my incoming seventh graders and over half of my incoming sixth graders, so I am going to give them the inventory this week to give me a jump start for preparations for the start of the year.

In addition, it gave many content area specific suggestions that I will consider and weave into my social studies curriculum. This year vocabulary was a part of my social studies units, but I was not always as consistent with the vocabulary as I would have liked. Since all of my students are learning in two languages vocabulary is a huge key to their success. I am glad that this resource will help me strengthen that area of my instruction and build in daily vocabulary pieces in the social studies portion of our day. I am going to share this resource with my team teacher because of all the specific science and math suggestions.

I am glad to have found yet another valuable resource that is a good fit for my personal teaching philosophy. Bit by bit I am piecing together what my literacy and social studies blocks will look like next year. It is so exciting to blend together what worked well last year with suggestions to improve the areas where I reflected improvement was needed.