Have you heard about SWR yet? If not, it stands for Spelling, Writing, and Reading, and it's our spelling/phonics/word study program. Students participate in a mini-lesson each day just before lunch, when we review letters/sounds and practice Red Words (words that cannot be sounded out and must be memorized--similar to sight words in reading, but there are not nearly as many that we expect students to commit to memory for spelling). We also take time during the whole group lesson to present a word study skill that is relevant to the whole group's learning needs. Later, in the afternoon, we have our SWR station time. We have not yet started the actual stations, but each afternoon, students have been introduced to an activity that they will later be able to independently during station time. For instance, today students worked on handwriting notebooks and practiced red words using letter stamps. Next week, we try SWR station time. Each group (4-5 students) will visit one station per day: teacher, red words, word work, and technology. These stations will include several choices for practice with certain skills, except for the teacher station (this will be an activity led by me to help further your child's spelling development).
To get the conversation going, ask your child about "Echo" the eagle and "Word Bird"! Also, ask your child what motions we've been doing for red word practice--perhaps you'll hear about jumping jacks, boxing, hula, or froggy jumps (among many others)!
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| The letter stamps were popular today! |
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| Proper letter formation is taught/reviewed in first grade. One way we practice is in our handwriting notebooks. |
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| Good old shaving cream makes a great way to practice letter formation and spelling words. It's a fun way to practice at home, too! |
Have you heard about SWR yet? If not, it stands for Spelling, Writing, and Reading, and it's our spelling/phonics/word study program. Students participate in a mini-lesson each day just before lunch, when we review letters/sounds and practice Red Words (words that cannot be sounded out and must be memorized--similar to sight words in reading, but there are not nearly as many that we expect students to commit to memory for spelling). We also take time during the whole group lesson to present a word study skill that is relevant to the whole group's learning needs. Later, in the afternoon, we have our SWR station time. We have not yet started the actual stations, but each afternoon, students have been introduced to an activity that they will later be able to independently during station time. For instance, today students worked on handwriting notebooks and practiced red words using letter stamps. Next week, we try SWR station time. Each group (4-5 students) will visit one station per day: teacher, red words, word work, and technology. These stations will include several choices for practice with certain skills, except for the teacher station (this will be an activity led by me to help further your child's spelling development). 
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