One reality of today’s classrooms is the limited supply of lesson-ready materials available to teachers trying to support English learners’ literacy development. The educators and researchers who developed Words Their Way® with English Learners, a phenomenon in word study, understand this challenge. The cornerstone of the Words Their Way® approach to word study is the examination of students’ word knowledge so that teachers can build language and literacy competence on that foundation.
This approach is especially valuable for English learners. This text focuses on the specific needs of Spanish speakers who are improving in their use of English. It provides you with the reproducible sorts and step-by-step directions you’ll need to guide students through each sorting lesson. The week-by-week curriculum provided in this text will complement the use of any phonics, spelling, and reading curricula.
Word study is a dynamic instructional approach for teachers and their English-learning students. Your students will feel empowered as they grasp new words in English, build skills to understand the commonalities and differences between Spanish and English, and make connections between oral and written words.
Who are within word pattern learners?
How does word study help these learners develop English language proficiency?
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By building on students’ background knowledge in Spanish and the sounds in oral language that are common to both English and Spanish
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By starting with the most common and high-utility English words
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By teaching vocabulary through pictures and word-picture matching
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By providing opportunities to compare explicitly and work with sounds and patterns in English that may require extra help for Spanish speakers
Words Their Way®
: Within Word Pattern Sorts for Spanish Speaking English Learners provide to guide students toward this proficiency?