Words Their Way Program
ELEMENTARY SPELLING AND WORD STUDY PROGRAM: WORDS THEIR WAY
Curriculum revision is often overlapping, with materials and practices remaining in place while new practices are phased in. As an ongoing process, development of curriculum requires continuous monitoring, evaluation, and revision in response to new knowledge and changes in pedagogy and technology. This occurs when teachers and administrators have the opportunities to engage in professional study to improve their leadership and craft.
Words Their Way program, adopted in 2012 by the CSH Board of Education, is an example of this collegial process. During 2011-2012, teachers in Kindergarten through Grade 3 piloted Words Their Way (WTW), a research-based word study program designed to develop students’ spelling, phonics, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary. The yearlong pilot period provided teachers with time and resources to collaborate on the quality of the program, to gain a common understanding of the components, and to plan lessons to support students at varying levels.
The WTW program is fully implemented in Kindergarten through Grade 5.