Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction (4th Edition) (Paperback)

~ Donald R. Bear (Author), (Author), Shane R. Templeton (Author), Francine R. Johnston (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

This book would be very useful for both university reading courses and classroom teachers. I use Words Their Way both in my first grade classroom and with college students as a way to implement word study. Kristi McNeal, CSU Fresno Words Their Way's developmentally-driven, hands-on instructional approach has been a phenomenon in word study, providing a practical way to study words with students. The keys to this research-based approach are to know your students' literacy progress, organize for instruction, and implement word study. This streamlined book and the DVD and CD-ROM that accompany it gives you all the tools you need to carry out word study instruction that will motivate and engage your students, and help them to succeed in literacy learning. Ordered in a developmental format, Words Their Way complements the use of any existing phonics, spelling, and vocabulary curricula. Knowing Your Students *Streamlined Chapter 2 provides step by step guidelines for assessing students. *NEW! Words Their Way Word Study Resources CD: Assessment Planning and Additional Interactive Word Sorts contains computerized assessments to gauge students' developmental levels.* Word Study with English Learner sections in each chapter help you organize and adapt instruction to meet the needs of students whose first language is not English. Organizing for Instruction *NEW! Words Their Way DVD Tutorial: Planning for Word Study in K-8 Classrooms reinforces and illustrates classroom organization and management, as outlined in Chapter 3. *Word Study Routines and Management sections in every chapter give you practical guidance on managing and implementing word study in your classroom. *NEW! Tech Notes throughout chapters pinpoint opportunities for you to use the DVD and CD-ROM to prepare for instruction. Implementing Word Study *Classroom-proven, research-driven activities end each developmental chapter, giving you the instructional practices to get your word study instruction up and running immediately. *NEW! Words Their Way Word Study Resources CD: Assessment Planning and Additional Interactive Word Sorts provides more than just assessments. You'll also find hundreds of additional word and picture sorts, games and templates, and an interactive Create Your Own section.* The Appendix at the back of the book contains a comprehensive bank of word lists, word sorts, picture sorts, games and templates. The theory behind and practice for word sorts allows even the novice teacher to understand how to use the assessments to organize instruction. The organization of the last five chapters creates a useful resource for teachers. Each begins with a research-based description and moves into sound instructional practices, giving the teacher a complete understanding of how to meet the needs of students. Cathy Blanchfield, CSU Fresno Meet the Authors *Donald Bear is Director of the E.L. Cord Foundation Center for Learning and Literacy at the University of Nevada, Reno, assessing and teaching students who experience difficulties learning to read and write. A former preschool and elementary teacher, Donald currently researches literacy development with a special interest in students who speak languages other than English, and he partners with schools and districts to consider assessment and literacy instruction.* Marcia Invernizzi is Director of the McGuffey Reading Center at the University of Virginia exploring developmental universals in non-English orthographies. A former English and reading teacher, Marcia works with children experiencing difficulties learning to read and write in intervention programs such as Virginia's Early Intervention Reading Initiative and Book Buddies. *Shane Templeton is Foundation Professor of Literacy Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. A former classroom teacher at the primary and secondary levels, he researches the development of orthographic and vocabulary knowledge *Francine Johnston is Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she teaches reading, language arts, and children's literature. A former first-grade teacher and reading specialist.

From the Publisher

Written by teachers who are noted authorities in the field of spelling and word study, this comprehensive text/sourcebook explores word recognition and spelling skills K-12 -- with a K-8 emphasis. Based on extensive observations and experiences in real classrooms for more than 15 years, it combines discussions of theory and practical assessment tools and techniques with over 250 ready-to-use word study, spelling, vocabulary, and phonics activities presented in a developmental sequence from Preliterate through the Derivational Constancy stage. It shows students how to work with picture and word sorting, how to use word banks at the beginning levels, and how to incorporate word study into reading and writing. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 4 edition (May 21, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 013223968X
• ISBN-13: 978-0132239684
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,656 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

125 of 126 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Words Their Way Curriculum Also Effective for Older Students, August 16, 2001

By	K. Wieland (South Wales, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

I acquired this book on the recommendation of one of my professors. I had heard great things about the program's effectiveness with younger readers, but was not convinced I could adapt it to suit the needs of older students with reading difficulties. However, because my students dislike worksheets as much as I do, I am constantly searching for hands-on activities that developed word attack and spelling skills. Donald Bear et al provided me with numerous games and word sorts to use with my reading classes. It has also been possible to extend the curriculum to a higher level by creating additional word sorts that focus on the specific issue of high school readers/spellers. In my opinion, this book is an essential resource for every elementary teacher, language arts teacher, reading specialist, or tutor.

61 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Understanding how to help children read, January 30, 2000

By	Dr. Mike Zachary "mzachary" (Santa Clara, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Dr. Bear and his co-authors describe the stages most children go through as they learn to read, and they provide specific teaching methods that help students move from where they are to the next level of accomplishment.

Extensive research has indicated that a child's spelling is a window to his level of learning. This book provides diagnostic tests that only take a few minutes to give, but provide specific and valuable information about the child's level of literacy.

I have required my college students in Tests & Measurements to purchase this book and to perform tests on children.

Though the introductory chapters seem to be a "heavy read" to some, this book is clear, well-written, and practical. Teachers and curriculum supervisors would be well advised to understand the material set forth in this volume.

50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical and Indispensible, July 21, 2000

By	Susan Nunes (Reno, NV United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction (Paperback)

While at the University of Nevada, Reno (where co-authors Donald Bear and Shane Templeton teach), I was required to have this book for my language arts method class. It is very practical, and teachers will enjoy the games and word sorts which help reinforce spelling, vocabulary, and phonics instruction. This book has a little bit of theory regarding the levels of reading literacy, but the majority of the book is devoted to word study activities.

This is a book that belongs on every teacher's bookshelf, and it is a book teachers will refer to time and again. It is a book designed to be USED, not talked about.