In our Word Study program, the students have 10 pattern words they study each week. Students who do well (1 or less wrong) on the pretest at the beginning of the week get the challenge list, and all other students get the regular list of 10 patterns words. Before the spelling test, I put a 1 or a 2 on each student's blank test. I then go back and forth giving the first word for list 1 (regular) followed by the first word for list 2 (challenge). That is the first part of the test and takes about 5-7 minutes.
For the second part of the test, all students in the class are tested on 10 new words (words they were not able to study) that follow the pattern we are practing for the week. I give those ten words to the whole class at the same time in about 5 minutes.
Finally, the last 5 words on the test are the students' individualized high frequency words. Since these words are based on words they got wrong on their high frequency inventories at the beginning of the year, each students has 5 different high frequency words they are studying each week. The words are written in their spelling notebooks at school, and each student has a spelling buddy who administers the last five words on test by swapping notebooks. This part takes an additional 5-7 minutes.
Overall, our 25 word spelling test takes about 20 minutes. It may sound complicated, but it really becomes very quick and efficient once the students get the hang of the process.
Amanda,
In our Word Study program, the students have 10 pattern words they study each week. Students who do well (1 or less wrong) on the pretest at the beginning of the week get the challenge list, and all other students get the regular list of 10 patterns words. Before the spelling test, I put a 1 or a 2 on each student's blank test. I then go back and forth giving the first word for list 1 (regular) followed by the first word for list 2 (challenge). That is the first part of the test and takes about 5-7 minutes.
For the second part of the test, all students in the class are tested on 10 new words (words they were not able to study) that follow the pattern we are practing for the week. I give those ten words to the whole class at the same time in about 5 minutes.
Finally, the last 5 words on the test are the students' individualized high frequency words. Since these words are based on words they got wrong on their high frequency inventories at the beginning of the year, each students has 5 different high frequency words they are studying each week. The words are written in their spelling notebooks at school, and each student has a spelling buddy who administers the last five words on test by swapping notebooks. This part takes an additional 5-7 minutes.
Overall, our 25 word spelling test takes about 20 minutes. It may sound complicated, but it really becomes very quick and efficient once the students get the hang of the process.
-Beth