1. Sitton Spelling Refresher
Common Core Standard- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
How do we teach conventions with integrity and fidelity to our program?
We have spent the last year (or two for K-1-2 teachers) exploring the spelling component in the Journeys materials. Based on your feedback, the current Common Core State Standards (that you see posted here), research and best practices in Spelling, it was determined that we will continue to use Sitton Spelling program. You are of course welcome to use the Journeys pieces too as they provide wonderful opportunities for word study that we know is valuable too. Based on the standards and upcoming report card revisions, we know that Spelling is just one part of the conventions of writing.
The decision to continue to use Sitton was based on teacher feedback, current research and alignment to standards. Use the Journeys spelling piece as it provides wonderful opportunities for word study.

2. Goals
The goal of this meeting is to provide guidance and support to implement our Sitton spelling program with consistency and fidelity.
To model a unit plan at each grade level.
Provide a refresher on how to use the Sitton program.
So our goal today is provide a refresher about how to use the essential elements of Sitton Spelling to ensure consistency across the district.

3. Grade Level Unit Plan Word Preview Concept Lesson
Concept Lesson/or Test Ready
Assessment Options
Let’s take a look at the essential elements of a unit. Review slide.
Remember that a unit can be any length of time appropriate for your class (it does not have to be one week in length).
Now let’s look at each of these components…

4. Grade Level Unit Plan
Every unit begins with a word preview which is a visual skill building activity.
Word Preview…
The first component of each unit is the Word Preview.
This builds the visual skills that we know are essential to good Spelling.

5. Here’s how to do it. After all new words are written… Teacher:
Says the word. Says the word in a sentence. Says the word again.
Asks the students to write the word.
Students:
Look and listen.
Print the word.
After all new words are written…
Demonstrate an example with a volunteer (or presenting partner) to show the process.
Consider using summer and vacation as the demonstration words, spelling one correctly and one incorrectly.

6. Checking the preview together.
Teacher:
Spells the word aloud.
Prints the word saying the name of each letter.
Observes students.
Students:
Touch each letter with pencil or pen and circle errors.
Look at board and listen.
Rewrite the word.
Continue with the example and volunteer (or presentation partner) to show the process. Why we do it? (see KB)
The purpose of word preview is to teach and practice a visual strategy. It is a procedure that diminishes careless errors among known words in writing. Teacher directed instruction of visual skills is provided so that students learn how to proofread. When this effort becomes a habit than students written communication skills are enhanced. Many of our standardized tests today include proofreading or editing assessments so we are helping our students develop the skills they need for standardized measures as well through the Word Preview procedure.
Word preview directions can be found on the following pages:
1st grade p. 149
2nd grade p. 271
3rd grade p. 331
4th grade p. 331
5th grade p. 316
Students should ONLY circle the incorrect part of the word. t h a y

7. Build Basic Concepts
Every unit has 2 to 5 concept lessons. You choose at least one concept. You then select one activity under that concept and teach it.
Build Basic Concepts… see model unit format for each specific grade level.
Concept activities are word study activities that sort, add to, and extend words and patterns based on the core words.
Another key element is to build basic concepts – these are word study activities in which students create the generalizations rather than being provided with a list. More critical thinking is required when the students create the word lists to be sorted and extended for patterns of the core words.
They may include such things as… (next slide page 5 from green seminar book)
Have teachers open their Sourcebooks and find a lesson to see how easy it is to locate lessons that build basic concepts.

8. Here are some ways that Sitton can connect to all that we can do to enhance our students knowledge of words.
Leave up for a minute so people and see, read and comment. Turn to a partner and share one cross curricular connection you have.

9. How to select concept and activity
In the Sourcebook under Build Basic Concepts:
Choose a concept…
Based on student need.
Based on practice book pages: See the footnotes at the bottom of each page. It will tell you which activity goes with the practice book page. (Use with unit 10, Activity 2A)
*You can select additional activities based on your class.
So how do you choose a concept and activity?
Look in your Source books under Build Basic Concepts – then either based on student needs or on practice book pages provided choose one to teach.
You can select additional concepts or activities based on your class as well.
Remember to keep it short and simple – no more than 15 minutes a day.
The presenters may want to bring a practice book to show how it corresponds to the concept lessons. You should also suggest that if teachers do use the practice books it is worthwhile to create their own TE filling in the answers from the sheet that provides the answers that come with a set of the practice books. It is just easier to correct the students’ practice books this way.

10. Choose another concept OR Build Assessment Readiness
Concept or Test Ready
Choose another concept OR
Build Assessment Readiness
It is recommended that some time during the unit you choose a second concept to teach or work on building assessment readiness.

11. If you choose another concept…
If you choose Test Ready…
This connects to…
cloze test
sentence dictation
This connects to…
parent letter
skills test
Explain alignment of different components included on this slide.
Model an example and use your presentation partner or volunteer to show the process. Why we do it? (see KB)
Test Ready is a source for activities that focus on an essential skill that will be assessed in the Skill Test in each unit. Test ready has two parts, one labeled “at-school” for classroom practice and one labeled “at-home” for homework practice. The purpose of Test Ready is to provide targeted practice for a specific skill prior to testing it on the Skill Test. All skills are recycled, so a skill targeted in Test Ready and tested in the Skill Test does not signal a termination of expose to that skill.

12. Where are Test Ready activities?
In the Sourcebook: Build Assessment Readiness
There is an “at-school” lesson which reviews a previous activity.
The “at-home” section could possibly be used as homework.
Work through an example with a volunteer or presentation partner, the process of one activity; work through one lesson.
Remind teachers that the “at home” lesson has a copy master in the Sourcebook.

13. Assess Words and Skills
Assessment
Assess Words and Skills
So how do we assess spelling?

14. Assessment Daily Writing (required) Cloze Story Word Test Skill Test
Sentence Dictation
Achievement Tests
The only required part of spelling assessment is in student writing, all the rest are optional because this is how spelling is tied to the standards and our standards based report card.
Model the process using a student sample.
Use next slide to explain the process…

16. Assessing Spelling in Writing
Daily writing:
Teacher selects a piece of student writing. Tell the students ahead of time that this will be checked for spelling.
Bracket off a specific number of words to check for priority words. (50)
Put a dot in the row where the student has an error.
The student then goes back to find the error. This promotes proofreading and student efficacy.
Underline other words spelled incorrectly and have the students use other resources to spell these correctly.
Insert a piece of student writing. Use a white board to actually SHOW this.
So here’s an example of how you assess spelling in writing…
Remember that Spelling in the Common Core State Standards and on our report card is only one component of conventions in English so that is how we need to assess it. Our assessment should align with and guide our instruction in spelling.

17. Big Ideas
Students discover spelling generalizations that apply to many words
Assess spelling in writing
Spelling is one part of the conventions of writing
Weekly tests not required
How many of you have given a spelling test on Friday and by Monday your students have already forgotten the words? Or misspell their spelling words in their daily writing? We know that student spelling improves only when they are held accountable in their writing, so that is how we are going to assess it. In other words not more weekly spelling tests are required.
So here are the big ideas…
Use Sitton spelling to help students discover spelling generalizations that apply to many works (aka word study)
Assess their spelling naturally in writing
Remember that spelling is just one facet of the conventions of writing
You no longer need to give weekly spelling tests, just word previews by unit
We are looking for the application of spelling in writing.
Discuss report card and CCSS..
Hold students accountable for their spelling in writing

18. Here are the benefits of the Sitton approach to spelling if followed with fidelity
This is page 51 of the GREEN SEMINAR BOOK