The Word Pattern Stage
The Word Pattern Stage for Transitional Learners helps students build upon their sounds and the patterns that sounds make within English Orthography. This stage is a transitional stage because it falls between the beginning stages of writing and the intermediate stage when students are fluent readers and writers. This stage can often be seen in students that are "in the middle-to-late part of first grade, but transitional students are found mostly in second, third, and early fourth grade classrooms" (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 200).
Literacy and Orthographic Development within the Word Pattern Stage
Readers within this stage begin to blend and chunk sounds together. Because students can decode words quickly and have a high number of sight words in their known word banks, students within this stage begin to read more fluently and expressively. Because students have these reading capabilities, they also can sustain reading independently for a longer period of time, compared to students in the letter name-alphabetic stage. Thus, they typically can read beginning chapter books and should be reading at least 30 minutes per day within their instructional and independent reading level.
Writers within this stage can write more quickly because their knowledge of letters, sounds, and strategies for automatically spelling words. This allows students to focus more on the ideas and expression in their writing. Within this stage, a great focus on homophones and homonyms should be taken. Teachers should share that in regards to homophones, "we spell these words differently because they mean different things" (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 203). The text references throne and thrown as examples of how homophones sound alike but have very different meanings. This is also a very difficult concept for English Language Learners that should be supported with specific instruction and many visual aides.
It is very common for students in the Word Pattern Stage to continue to confuse vowel patterns. Words Their Way references the following example: students no longer spell boat as BOT, but now they will produce the word as BOTE, BOWT, or BOOT (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 205).
Writers within this stage can write more quickly because their knowledge of letters, sounds, and strategies for automatically spelling words. This allows students to focus more on the ideas and expression in their writing. Within this stage, a great focus on homophones and homonyms should be taken. Teachers should share that in regards to homophones, "we spell these words differently because they mean different things" (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 203). The text references throne and thrown as examples of how homophones sound alike but have very different meanings. This is also a very difficult concept for English Language Learners that should be supported with specific instruction and many visual aides.
It is very common for students in the Word Pattern Stage to continue to confuse vowel patterns. Words Their Way references the following example: students no longer spell boat as BOT, but now they will produce the word as BOTE, BOWT, or BOOT (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 205).
Eduardo's Tooth Story from page 205 in the Words Their Way text demonstrates an example of student writing for students in the word pattern stage. As you can see, Eduardo continues to have vowel confusion, as he adds in extra vowels to the word, tooth.
Word Study Instruction for the Word Pattern Stage
Word sorts continue to be imperative to students within the Word Pattern Stage. Word sorts should reflect vowel and consonant patterns. Rather than talk about rules for vowels, talk about patterns. Students should frequently sort by patterns and sounds, such as a "short a" sort for words like cash or trap. Words Their Way also instructs students to sort independently and later check their work with partners. Encourage students to read words aloud when completing a sort.
Weekly spelling tests are also recommended to monitor progress and hold students accountable for their learning. Ten words are the recommendation for the maximum number of words on a spelling test, and it is highly recommended that spelling tests are differentiated to accommodate each individual speller. If students are not demonstrating 90%-100% mastery on a spelling test, their words and words sorts need to be accommodated to a lesser difficulty.
Weekly spelling tests are also recommended to monitor progress and hold students accountable for their learning. Ten words are the recommendation for the maximum number of words on a spelling test, and it is highly recommended that spelling tests are differentiated to accommodate each individual speller. If students are not demonstrating 90%-100% mastery on a spelling test, their words and words sorts need to be accommodated to a lesser difficulty.
Supporting English Language Learners within the Word Pattern Stage
The following strategies are recommended to enhance vowel study for English Learners:
- Talk about the different sounds among various languages
- Minimize the number of words in a sort or on a spelling test for English Learners, as you don't want to overwhelm these students further
- Use pictorial representations to associate pictures with words
- Discuss the meanings of words by acting them out
- Allow students to illustrate words in their word study notebooks to aide in reminding English Learners of the meaning of words
- Pair English Learners with native English speakers who can support pronunciation of the words in partner sorts (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 221).
Please view the below video for an accommodation for English Learners utilizing Word Sorts with the aide of pictures.
- Talk about the different sounds among various languages
- Minimize the number of words in a sort or on a spelling test for English Learners, as you don't want to overwhelm these students further
- Use pictorial representations to associate pictures with words
- Discuss the meanings of words by acting them out
- Allow students to illustrate words in their word study notebooks to aide in reminding English Learners of the meaning of words
- Pair English Learners with native English speakers who can support pronunciation of the words in partner sorts (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, & Johnston, 2012, p. 221).
Please view the below video for an accommodation for English Learners utilizing Word Sorts with the aide of pictures.