Word Study is just what the name implies: the study of words, but it's more than just memorizing a list of spelling words each week.  Students are grouped by ability to  learn the spelling patterns and strategies for spelling.  A variety of activities are used to keep the learning engaging and productive.  Ongoing formal and informal assessment is used throughout the year to determine a student's knowledge of spelling to better provide appropriate instruction.
   Students also learn to read and spell words that do NOT follow a general rule. We sometimes call these "red" words or "stumpers." We introduce a few each week along with the Word Study words. We also are building a "Word Wall" in the classrooms that will be filled with lots of "red words." Students may use the word wall as a reference when doing writing assignments. The word wall may also contain some seasonal or theme related vocabulary that students may access when necessary.