Camp Word Wizards I: Understanding English Word Structure, Meaning and Spelling
This four-day, magic formula-based camp introduces learners to structured word inquiry (SWI), focusing on English word structure, meaning and spelling. Collaboration and friendly gamified competition complement learning.
Teacher Tim, M.Ed., Reading Specialist
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(235)
Rising Star
What's included
4 live meetings
3 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 3 - 6
This short, magic formula-themed, four-day camp introduces learners to the concept of structured word inquiry (SWI). SWI focuses on the structure, meaning and spelling of English words, dispelling the myth that some English words are necessarily branded “irregular.”
Structured word inquiry benefits:
• Reading (decoding and comprehension)
• Speaking and listening (strengthened vocabulary)
• Writing (spelling and word choice)
• Learners who need to know the “why” for spelling (i.e., learners with dyslexia).
Each day’s instruction brings a new set of skills (magic formula) and complements the previous methods taught. Learners also experience friendly competition through gamification; and each lesson features a daily take-away.
Day one highlights key concepts and vocabulary (ingredients) necessary to establish a baseline understanding of structured word inquiry. The lesson also introduces the first magic formula.
***Daily camp activities:
1. Review previously learned concepts.
2. Introduce and collaboratively practice new ideas taught. Learners make educated guesses (hypotheses) about word meaning and structure, looking for similarities and differences to support their hypothesis; and draw word conclusions.
3. Gamify learning (Blooket, Flippity and Wheel of Names).
Why engage in inquiry-based learning?
**To encourage learners to think confidently, critically and creatively about words (and other things).
*Words have a history, which means they have a story to tell.
* Word inquiry leads to word power!
The main goal of Camp Word Wizards is to develop learners’ enchantment with the English language, including structure and meaning; and realize that English spelling isn’t always simple, but it’s clear.
Structured Word Inquiry (SWI) Ingredients:
• Affixes: prefixes and suffixes
• Graphemes, phonemes, morphemes
• Orthography: Etymology, Morphology, Phonology
• The 5 Es of Structured Word Inquiry:
**Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate
• The Essential 4 SWI Questions:
** What does the word mean (based on the context of the story)?
** What is its structure (including base word, prefixes and suffixes)?
** What are some relatives (other words in the same word family)?
** How do the letters (graphemes) function to spell a word)?
• Root Words vs. Base Words
• Free Bases vs. Bound Bases
• Hand Gestures (tactile learning)
*Magic Formula I (Day 1) Boxing the Base
Today’s main ingredient for word study is identifying the base of a word, boxing it and underlining affixes. Every word has a base so locating it can support critical thinking about its word structure.
*Magic Formula (Day2): Word Matrices
Today’s concoction features a rectangular array of horizontal and vertical lines containing a base and its orthographic denotation (in quotes). Learners collaborate to create words using the included prefixes and suffixes.
*Magic Formula (Day 3) Word Sums
Today’s brew is a mix of word parts, including prefixes, suffixes and base words. Learners study word part meanings and add them to produce word sums. Learners also apply correct verbiage when constructing word sums.
*Magic Formula (Day 4) Word Families
Today’s infusion features the camp’s weeklong instruction to analyze words that belong in the same family, determined by studying base words and their affixes. Related words must have meaning and structural links to the base. Learners collaborate, hypothesize and justify why they think particular words belong in the same family.Other Details
Learning Needs
This camp is particularly good for learners who need to know the "why" words are spelled a particular way.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined July, 2020
5.0
235reviews
Rising Star
Teacher expertise and credentials
Ohio Teaching Certificate in Special Education
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from Cleveland State University-Does not expire.
Bachelor's Degree in Biology/Biological Sciences from Mercyhurst University-Does not expire.
My talents include:
• Master’s degree in Education
• Ohio state licensed Mild-to-Moderate Intervention Specialist (Kindergarten through 12th Grade-Special Education)
• Ohio Department of Education (ODE) Reading Endorsement for teaching the Big Five of the science of reading: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency and Comprehension
• Skilled at writing individualized education plans (IEPs).
• Orton-Gillingham certified through the Dyslexia Training Institute (DTI) in San Diego, California to teach learners diagnosed with dyslexia. Orton Gillingham is a multi-sensory approach to learning, which includes auditory, kinesthetic (touch) and visual instruction.
• Six years previous employment teaching at an alternative school for children diagnosed on the autism spectrum and/or life trauma.
Professional Affiliations
• International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
• International Literacy Association (ILA)
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
• Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics (OCTM)
***Professional Development:
^^^ Guiding Writers: Engaging Scaffolds for Powerful Results-International Literacy Association (ILA) June 2024
^^ Attesting Affixes-Wordtorque-April 2024
^^ Finding Word Families-Wordtorque- April 2024
***8th Annual Dyslexia Virtual Conference (Dyslexia Training Institute-San Diego, California): February 26th through March 17, 2024
**Microcertification**
Education Included:
^^What Should Be Included in a Comprehensive Assessment of Dyslexia
^^Executive Functions: What Are They, Why Are They Important and How Can I Help?
^^Spelling-Meaning Correspondences are Missing in Action: A Matter of Attention
^^^The Reading Brain: Building Students' Reading Muscles in the Digital Age-International Literacy Association (ILA)
February 2024
^^^ K-12 Reading Comprehension
^^^K-5 Writing Instruction-American Federation of Teachers Union-Literacy Across Ohio Training
February 2024
^^^The Snapshot Workshop: Word Inquiry Access Workshop Wordtorque January 2024
^^^ Introduction to Dyslexia Certification Course: Ohio Department of Education (ODE) January 2024
***Teaching Phonics Well: What You Need to Know to Do This-Wordtorque November 2023
***Fluency Instruction in the Age of the Science of Reading-January 2023-International Literacy Association (ILA)
***7th Annual Dyslexia Virtual Conference-Dyslexia Training Institute, (DTI), San Diego, California) : February 27th through March 17, 2023
Education Included:
• Dyslexia for a Day: A Simulation of Dyslexia
• Dyslexia Among English Learners: From Identification to Treatment
• Getting a Grip on Teaching Grammar
• Reading Fluency
• Strategies to Boost Spelling Success
• The Intersectionality of Race and Dyslexia for Black/Brown Children: Barriers to Diagnosis and Intervention
• Understanding Dysgraphia (Developmental learning disorder with impairment in written expression)
***Phonics + Morphology= A Love Story April 2023
***Word Inquiry in Action April 2023
Virtual 30-day access conference featuring international teachers incorporating structured word inquiry (SWI) into their instruction. Educators included representation from Australia, Hong Kong and the United States. Lessons focused on *Investigative Insights and *Quick Consolidations.
*** Backed by Research, Fueled by Design: Comprehension Lessons That Work-August 2023-International Literacy Association (ILA)
NOBIDA-Northern Ohio Branch-International Dyslexia Association, September 2023:
***Dyslexia Simulation
**Reading Assessments That Promote Equitable Learning-International Literacy Association (ILA), October 2023
**Adding Encoding (Spelling) to Phonics Instruction-International Literacy Association (ILA) October 20203
***Structured Word Inquiry:
*Structured Word Inquiry* from the Dyslexia Training Institute (DTI) in San Diego, California:
DTI's 2022 Fall Spelling Symposium-Week 1: 3 hours October 4, 2022
DTI's 2022 Fall Spelling Symposium-Week 2: 3 hours October 9, 2022
DTI's 2021 Fall Spelling Symposium-Week 1: 3 hours October 9, 2021
DTI's 2021 Fall Spelling Symposium-Week 2: 3 hours October 18, 2021
Reviews
Live Group Class
$68
for 4 classes4x per week, 1 week
55 min
Completed by 7 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-12
2-6 learners per class
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