English
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SP Teen Course: Introduction to Structured Word Inquiry
Class experience
US Grade 7 - 10
Intermediate Level
I also offer a live version of this class. If you would prefer a live version you can find it here: https://outschool.com/classes/unlocking-the-mysteries-of-english-spelling-a-live-8-week-class-BcfHP84y?usid=nD85Y1ms&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link If you are like most speakers of English, you’ve been taught to spell a word by “sounding it out.” But you probably also know that this strategy only works a small handful of times. Between silent letters, letters that can make more...
8 lessons//8 Weeks
Week 1Lesson 1The History of EnglishWe will start by learning more about the history of the English language and how some historical events have impacted our spelling system. We'll also be dismantling the idea that the job of English spelling is to represent sound, and we'll examine several examples of words that prove that the primary purpose of the spelling system is to represent meaning.Week 2Lesson 2Morphemes, Phonemes and GraphemesStudents will learn the definitions of phonemes, graphemes, and morphemes and how they work together to spell words.Week 3Lesson 3Suffixing Conventions Part 1A closer look at suffixing and figuring out the suffixing rules for dropping a silent e and changing y to an i. We will learn to think like "Word Scientists" to make hypotheses and then use words to test them and come to conclusions about the suffixing rules. We'll learn how to use flowcharts that help us apply the rules of suffixing.Week 4Lesson 4Suffixing Conventions Part 2We will learn when to double a final consonant in a base when adding a suffixWeek 5Lesson 5Different types of basesWe will take a closer look at word families and start getting practice finding bases in words. We will learn the difference between a free base and a bound base and see how words from the same word family that share a base will also always share connections in meaning and spelling, regardless of pronunciation.Week 6Lesson 6Review and Practice Through Word BuildingStudents will have a chance to review and practice the suffixing rules by building words from a matrix, and working with both bound bases and free bases.Week 7Lesson 74 QuestionsWe will learn about four questions we can ask to help us determine how a word could be spelled, and we'll practice breaking words apart into their morphological pieces to see how determining a base word can help us understand a word's meaning and spelling as well as to find related words. We will continue to practice using etymonline to do research into a word's history.Week 8Lesson 8Etymological Markers and Summing UpIn the final lesson of the class, we'll take a look at some words that have etymological markers; learn what they are and how we can do research to understand why words are spelled the way they are. We'll also summarize our learning from this class.
At the end of this class, students will be able to: -break words apart into prefixes, bases, and suffixes -understand how to identify the graphemes, morphemes, and phonemes that create a word -understand that words that are connected in meaning will also be connected in spelling -understand how adding a suffix can change the spelling of a base word, for example by dropping a silent -e or doubling a final consonant -use provided flow charts and matrices to make decisions about spelling when adding a suffix to a base word -approach spelling problems by "thinking like a scientist," making a hypothesis about a word, testing their hypothesis, and seeing the results -know how to do research into a word's morphology and etymology
I have had extensive professional development in the ideas presented in this class, including working directly with Peter Bowers and WordWorksKingston to learn the principles of Structured Word Inquiry, and I have seven years of experience teaching this content in a classroom setting. I have also been involved in the creation of resources for colleagues to use in their teaching as they implemented SWI in their own classrooms.
Homework Offered
There will be a homework assignment following each class, which will give learners the opportunity to practice what has been learned in the lesson. Homework will take about 10-20 minutes after each lesson.0 - 1 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Grades Offered
I recommend students have a notebook for this class for taking notes, writing word sums, keeping lists of prefixes, suffixes and bases and to store flowcharts or other printable materials that will be shared for use during the class.
The content of this class is based off the work of Peter Bowers, Melvyn Ramsden, Sue Hegland, Fiona Hamilton, and many others. Some of the resources used were created by Peter Bowers and used with his permission. More about his work with the WordWorks Literacy Centre can be found at: https://wordworkskingston.com/WordWorks/Home.html
I love being a teacher and have wanted to be one for as long as I can remember! I now have 20 years of experience teaching elementary school and I hold two Master's degrees; one in Literacy, Curriculum and Instruction, and one in Library...
Self-Paced Class
$12
weekly or $96 for all content8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 24 learners
Ages: 13-16