WTW Chapter 8 Notes | teachingblog

WTW Chapter 8:

Development of Students in the Derivational Stage:

Generative Process: how words are generated using Greek and Latin word elements such as roots, prefixes and suffixes. Students who understand this process can analyze an unfamiliar vocabulary and improve their chunking skills.
Writing: students writing in this stage have a good understanding of the structures and purposes of different genres. Their vocabulary knowledge helps them to inform their voice or stance in their writing.
Dictionaries: students should learn the features of a dictionary and each class should have all of the different types of dictionaries.
Vocabulary: word-specific vocab instruction is about teaching a deep understanding of the concepts that a specific word represents. Generative vocab is teaching about words. Meaning teaching an understanding of the affixes and roots.

Orthographic Development:

polysyllabic words have unstressed syllables where the vowel creates the shwas sound.
suffixes can have different spellings even though they sound similar
absorbed or assimilated prefixes

The Spelling Meaning Connection:

words that are related in meaning are often related in spelling, despite changes in sound
by building an awareness of the logical connections between spelling and meaning students have a more productive and reassuring word learning experience.

Affixes: first introduced in the syllables and affixes stage and then reviewed in this stage.

Adding ION words: ion - an act or process or the result of an act or process. different spellings of the shu sound. tion, ion, sion, cian

Sound Alteration:

Consonant Alternation: consonants that are silent in one word are sometimes sounded in a related word. ex. sign, signal, signature. To remember the spelling of a word with a silent consonant, try to think of a word related in spelling and meaning. you may get a clue from the consonant aht is sounded. They suggest starting with silent/sounded pairs.
Vowel Alternation: occurs in related words in which the spelling remains the same despite the change in the sound represented by the spelling. ex. revise revision. Vowel alternations occur when affixes are added and the accented syllable changes.

Greek and Latin Elements:

word roots: cannot stand alone after all the affixes have been removed chron - time, chronology struct - build - construct
greek roots are labeled combining forms because they combine in different places in words. beg, middle, end. ex. jpoto and graph. telephoto, graphic, photograph
latin roots are just labeled roots. they tend to stay in one place, with prefixes and suffixes.

Spelling Changes in Vowels and Consonants: After students have gone over root and derivationally related words, they can learn words where the sound and the spelling change. Students learn that if the base word has ai or ei, then the derived word is simply just a or e. For example - receive/reception.

Advanced Suffix Study:

Certain suffixes and spellings are especially difficult for even advanced readers and writers.
However, there are generalizations that help in determining how a word is spelled, such as:
- If a suffix is attached to a base word that can stand alone, such as depend, then it usually spelled as -able
- If a suffix is attached to a root word, such as cred, then it is usually spelled as -ible

At this level, most know how to spell the words correctly, which greatly aids in figuring out the spelling of the suffix

Assimilated Prefixes: Prefixes are visual and meaning units that are easy to see and understand. Absorbed/Assimilated Prefixes are somewhat disguised prefixes, where the only clue as to the meaning is in doubled letters (immature, impossible and illogical).

Word Study Instruction:

Early/Middle - students in this stage have mastered the spellings of most of the prefixes and suffixes as well as what happens when they are affixed to bases.
Late - Most students do not reach this stage until middle or high school and are able to spell most new academic vocabulary correctly.

Assess and Monitor:

Introducing new vocabulary, words should be familiar to the students, so they can begin to make generalizations and move on to harder words.
Students are becoming very good spellers.
Students know the structure of words is key to their meaning, so when assessing students, more than just spelling should be addressed.
Students can be assessed by having students spell and define words, spell a word, then underline the prefix, suffix or root of the word

ELL’s:

ELL’s are potentially more sensitive to word then others
Study of cognates are important at the derivational relations stage and can benefit ELL’s
Cognates: words in different languages that share similar structures and similar meanings because they share similar origins
Classroom strategies to help ELL’s: read alouds, student reading and word sort

Routines and Management:

Word study is an alternative to traditional spelling instruction. It is based on learning word patterns rather than memorizing unconnected words.
Word study provides students with opportunities to investigate and understand the patterns in words.
Word study is also designed to build word knowledge that can be applied to both reading and spelling.

Teacher Directed Word Study:

Word study should take place all day long and in all content areas
Teachers should stop frequently to examine words, talk about unusual spelling, search for context clues, and look up and discuss words in the dictionary
Teachers need to emphasize the importance of word study at this developmental level for middle and secondary students

Word Study Activities:

Word Study Notebook - divide the Notebook into three sections word study, looking into language and new and interesting words. Students write words in these sections as they see fit.
Words That Grow from Base Words and Word Roots - there will be a drawing of a tree and you need to decide on a base word or word root to highlight. Start thinking of as many forms of the word as possible and write them on individual branches and display in the classroom.
Word Part Shuffle - A group of students receives a stack of cards consisting of a majority of the most generative prefixes, suffixes, and bases/word roots. The group first creates a number of words that may be found in a standard dictionary and then a group makes a new word using as many of the cards as they can. Then they create definitions for the new words and share them with other groups.
Quartet - Make a deck of word cards made into suits of 4 and each player is dealt seven cards, the rest are put in a deck. Each player looks through his or her cards for words in the same suit. The first player turns to the next and ask for a particular root: “Give me any cards with the root bio.” If the player's hand has any cards with the root asked for, the player must give them up and the first player gets to go again. If the player does not have any matches, her or she responds, “Draw One”
Root webs - Choose a set of common roots, such as photo- geo, -aqua, and -astro. The teacher should model it first and once students understand how to create the root webs, they can do them independently. Brainstorm related word and let students should use dictionaries to locate roots, verify their meaning, find their origins, and search for related words.
Latin Jeopardy - Create a grid of five columns and six rows. Insert headers to indicate the categories. Make a clue card by writing the points on one side and the answer on the others. During the game, turn over the square that is requested so the answer can be read. The clue is in the form of an answer and player must phrase their response in the form of a question. The answer clue: Coming from the latin root tract, it means “ a machine for pulling heavy loads.” Question respond: “What is tractor.”