Any teachers use Words Their Way?

[meliss8599]

It sounds like a great program. What's your experience with it? (It looks incredibly time/labor intensive for the teacher). What does your weekly schedule and activities look like? Any helpful websites?

I've tried Googling a typical schedule of activities but didn't find much. Our district provided us with the basic book (that comes with the dvd and cd) but that's it. Should I invest in the smaller booklets of word sorts I've been hearing about?

Any thoughts/ideas you have are greatly appreciated! I'm still reading over the book and I'll be watching the informational DVD tomorrow.

 

[Carnie]

I'm not a fan. Relies only on sorts to teach spelling skills. You have to manage between 4 and 6 separate groups every week. Spelling test Fridays are a nightmare (plan on an hour to administer). Tons of copying, kids have to cut sets, so you find lost word cards all over the room, no matter how much you threaten or bribe the kids to keep track of their own. Parents don't buy in, and kids rarely do the actual sorting activites at home (as part of the homework schedule).

I did not find any gains after assessing at the end of the year. I think kids need to figure out what works best for them as far as learning spelling skills (repetition, practice, oral spelling, etc) and this system allows for none of that.

I was stuck with it for 3 years, and fortuantely we ditched it this year.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

as a parent I can say that I am NOT a fan of Words their Way - at least how my district uses it. It's fine as one way to learn spelling, but not as an exclusive program. We went from the traditional spelling lists to WTW 2 years ago, this will be the 3rd year it's used. The spelling lists had "themes" with lots of words that would now be grouped together in WTW and the kids took weekly tests. On Monday as a pre-test and then again on Friday for a grade. NOw it's just "play games with phonics" and the kids never have to show they can actually spell words correctly. It's fine as a way to show kids patterns and how words are similar, but there is no testing done to see if they can apply the lessons learned. Not all kids can - my DD10 is in an advanced group with WTW but there is a serious disconnect between this and her actual writing/spelling skills. Quite frankly, her spelling is atrocious. There is never any correction in written work from the teacher to point out the errors and work on improving them.

I compare her skills to my older DD's and it's a night and day difference. Themed spelling lists may not have been as "fun" but my older DD can actually spell most words correctly.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I do know it took thousands of volunteer hours to implement this program - cutting many thousands of pages of paper into little bits. We have 8 elementaries in our district and each building was begging PTO parents and class volunteers to take home pages over the summer to cut out. Then someone had to make sure it was all turned back in and completed correctly. Yuck.

 

[Carnie]

I do know it took thousands of volunteer hours to implement this program - cutting many thousands of pages of paper into little bits. We have 8 elementaries in our district and each building was begging PTO parents and class volunteers to take home pages over the summer to cut out. Then someone had to make sure it was all turned back in and completed correctly. Yuck.

I made the kids do the cutting. Practice those fine motor skills!

 

[meliss8599]

Thanks for the input. The prep for the activities does seem like it will take up an exhorbitant amount of time. Hopefully we'll be allowed to get parent volunteers into the class to help out.

 

[minniebeth]

Op, I would not "invest" in anything further than what you are provided with and what you can find on the internet or resources/ideas from other teachers. There is really not much classroom/support material out there. If you are creative, once you start the program, I bet you will come up with some cute ideas.

The reason I say don't invest much is that every district or school I've know to use the program switches to another within the first few years.
(My kids' school included.)
It is very labor intensive for teachers. I do see the benefit for children though. I'm not a proponet of every child in a class having the same list week after week. Just doesn't make sense other than for convenience.
My kids' classes also had "red words" which were sight words that every child leaving that grade should be proficient in spelling.
They also had bonus words which were words that pertained to what they were learning in the class, holidays, etc.

The program only went up to 4th grade in my kids' school, in 5th they started the vocabulary concept.

My kids' school does not do Words Their Way anymore...they have gone to a whole class Orton-Gillingham method, which is a little similar in some aspects.