Running head: TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 1

Effects on Student Achievement When Teaching Spelling through Word Study

Laurie C. Vance

Kennesaw State University

TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 2

Abstract
This study uses a mixed-method approach of both qualitative and quantitative data analysis

to answer the research question, how do word studies effect student achievement and application

in written expression? Traditional spelling instruction requires students to memorize a number of

words to prepare for an assessment given each week. Many students are able to memorize spelling

words each week for Friday spelling tests; however, application of word patterns in written

expression is limited. Word studies are only a small component of English-Language Arts

curriculum and Common Core standards, however, the effects of understanding and applying word

knowledge relate to all aspects of various content-area instruction and beyond the classroom walls.
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 3

Chapter 1: Introduction
Existing literature provides evidence of the importance of word studies in regards to

student achievement in spelling and English-Language Arts instruction. Traditional spelling

instruction requires students to memorize a number of words to prepare for an assessment given

each week. While many students are able to memorize spelling words each week for Friday

spelling tests, application of word patterns in written expression is limited. When students are

unable to apply word knowledge into writing, this does not only limit their performance in the

classroom setting, but also inhibits them from becoming college and career ready. Implementing

teaching instruction strategies that focus on word patterns and word studies seek to address this

problem. Because of this concern, it is imperative to gain a clear understanding about the

importance of word studies rather than traditional strategies for teaching spelling within a Balanced

Literacy Framework. During this study, the research questions we seek to understand include: How

do word studies effect student achievement and application in written expression?

Context and Background of Word Studies

In the 19th century, spelling instruction taught a variety of subjects including grammar

and punctuation. Teachers expected students to memorize word lists of words with Latin and Greek

derivatives. “Lists were often quite long and at times taught as many as 50 words. These were presented

as rote memory tasks” (Schlagal, 2002). By the 20th century, spelling instruction shifted from the

correlation with grammar and language arts to strictly rote memorization. Students were still required to

memorize a long list of words; however, English-Language Arts instruction occurred separately. During

this time, formation of word lists did not relate to patterns of spelling, but rather by alphabetic order.

“It was not until the 1930s that educators began to organize spelling lists around words most

frequently used in reading and writing” (Rinsland, 1945). This was the beginning of high-frequency
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 4

words. Scaffolding of words related to each words difficulty and its occurrence during reading and

writing. “The advent of frequency lists allowed for a much finer control of difficulty and offered some

guarantee that the words children learned to spell would be ones they needed for their writing” (Schlagal,

2002). Over the next thirty years, research on teaching spelling through rote memorization continued until

scholars began to move their research in a different direction.

From the 1950s forward, researchers began to study spelling patterns and sought to focus

instruction on these patterns to see how this effected student understanding and ability to spell words

fluently. By looking at patterns in student spelling, educators can differentiate individual needs of

students based on their word knowledge. Information collected from student spelling inventories gives

educators a glimpse of student understanding and helps determine if students are early-phonetic, phonetic,

transitional, or fluent spellers. Based on their understanding, teachers can differentiate spelling instruction

by focusing on specific skills for each spelling stage. For example, a phonetic speller might need their

instruction focused on consonant blends whereas an early-phonetic speller would need their instruction

focused on initial and final consonants.

Context and Background of Word Studies at Avery Elementary

During the 2017-2018 school year, Cherokee

County School District adopted a Balanced Literacy

Framework. In this framework, there are three major

components: Reader’s Workshop, Writer’s Workshop,

and Word Study (Table 1). Unit pre and post-tests

assessed students on a variety of skills from each of these

three components.

Prior to this adoption, spelling instruction was at

teacher discretion with some teachers using traditional

methods, while other teachers used word studies. Because

TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 5

of this adoption, all teachers were required to implement word study practices during the 2017-2018

school year.

School History and Demographics

Avery Elementary School is part of Cherokee County School District and is located in

Canton, Georgia about 40 miles north of Atlanta, Georgia. Avery opened its doors in 2007 with

an enrollment of 1,053 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The school received the

name based on historical significance. In 1895, a one-room schoolhouse, also named Avery,

resided in the same community. Because of this fact, the community was adamant that the new

school share its namesake.

According to Avery Elementary School’s current School Improvement Plan (SIP), the

dynamics of the school are as follows, “Avery ES provides educational services for students in

grades kindergarten through fifth. Currently, Avery has approximately 1015 students: seven

classrooms in kindergarten, seven classrooms in first, seven classrooms in second, eight

classrooms in third grade, six classrooms in fourth grade and seven classrooms in fifth grade. All

students attend Art, Music, and Physical Education throughout the week. Actual class size varies

from 20 to 30 students. Also, Avery ES has three self-contained, multi-grade special education

classes that include a teacher and paraprofessionals. Avery ES students feed to Creekland Middle

School and then Creekview High School.” (Turner, 2016)

The demographics at Avery Elementary School vary with mostly Caucasian and Hispanic

students. There are also small populations of African-American and Multi-Racial students. Only

five percent of students are English Language Learners (ELL) and thirteen percent of students

have disabilities. The socioeconomic status is predominately-upper-middle class in Avery’s

districted area with only nineteen percent of students receiving free and reduced lunch (Table 2).
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 6

Literacy Related to State-Mandated Standardized Testing

Beginning in third grade, students are required to take state-mandated standardized tests.

According to the Georgia Department of Education, “The Georgia Milestones Assessment

System (Georgia Milestones) is a comprehensive summative assessment program spanning

grades 3 through high school. Georgia Milestones measures how well students have learned the

knowledge and skills outlined in the state-adopted content standards in English Language Arts,

mathematics, science, and social studies” (Woods et al., 2017). The Georgia Milestones consist

of open-ended constructed responses, writing components, and norm-referenced test selections.

At the elementary level, third and fourth grade students take the Georgia Milestones in

mathematics and English-Language Arts. In fifth grade, students begin to take the Georgia

Milestones in all content-area subjects.

Based on data collected from the state of Georgia, Cherokee County School District, and

Avery Elementary from the 2016-2017 Georgia Milestones, Avery exceeded the state and district

in all content areas. However, of all of the tested content areas, English-Language Arts needs the

most improvement with 43.9 percent of students in the beginning and developing stages of

content area knowledge.

TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 7

The results of the 2016-2017 Georgia Milestones directly relate to the need for a change

in English-Language Arts instruction. Brady (2008) states the need to “…move beyond rote

memorization and use a full range of thinking skills, students need to tackle issues straight out of

the complex world in which they live.” Based on this fact, Cherokee County School District

implemented the Balanced Literacy Framework. This framework seeks to bridge the gap

between simply memorizing facts and application of knowledge. Cole (2009) states, “According

to Bloom’s Taxonomy, recalling facts is at the lower end of the spectrum of critical thinking

skills. Application and synthesis of knowledge reside at the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy.”
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 8

Word studies are only a small component of English-Language Arts curriculum and

Common Core standards, however, the effects of understanding and applying word knowledge

relate to all aspects of various content-area instruction. When students understand and apply

word patterns they become more fluent readers and writers. Based on this fact, this beckons a

change in classroom instruction that goes beyond traditional methods of teaching in order to

reach 21st century learners. Information students memorize becomes irrelevant if they are unable

to recall and apply knowledge beyond the testing time-period. Volante (2007) states, “the most

timely and relevant type of assessment data is “integrating a range of curriculum-embedded

assessment measures for accountability purposes, focusing attention when it is needed most—

improving reliability and validity of classroom assessment data.”

Statement and Significance of the Research Problem

The purpose of this study is to describe the ways word studies effect student achievement

and application in written expression. Written expression is a skill students must have in order to

be college and career ready. This skill effects their performance across curriculum as well as

across grade-levels. Application of this knowledge beyond the English-Language Arts

curriculum is imperative for student success on state-mandated standardized testing as well as

outside of the education system. Because traditional methods of spelling instruction have proven

application in written expression to be limited, it is imperative that we use effective measures to

increase student performance. This study focuses on the research question: How do word studies

effect student achievement and application in written expression?

Definition of Terms

 Balanced Literacy – a method of teaching English-Language Arts curriculum using

whole language and phonics to increase student achievement (Garland & Withey, 2017)
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 9

 Whole language – refers to incorporating speaking, listening, guided practice, written

expression, and literature into a teaching framework (Linan-Thompson & Vaughn, 2004)

 *Specific definitions of the term word studies are considered during the Literature

Review

Chapter 2: Literature Review

Before describing this study, reviewing related literature is imperative for determining a

basis for implementing word studies in the classroom. This literature review discusses the

correlation between word studies and English-Language Arts, the difference between

memorization and mastery, and research based methods for implementing word studies in the

classroom.

Defining Word Study Correlation to English-Language Arts Instruction

Coiner (1995) stated, “There is some confusion as to what an effective means of word study

instruction might be, and it is true that there is no real definition of word study” (p. 8). While there

are many research-based methods describing what effective Word Study instruction includes,

Vaughn and Linan-Thompson (2004) determine key elements for implementing Word Study

instruction. These elements include phonological and phonemic awareness, print awareness,

alphabetic knowledge, alphabetic principle, decoding, reading practice with decodable text,

irregular or high frequency words, and reading fluency. While phonics is a skill beginning readers

must utilize when decoding words, it is not the only factor to consider when discussing Word

Study instruction in a balanced literacy program. According to Stahl and Fairbanks (1986),

research shows correlation of vocabulary with reading comprehension and academic achievement.

Word-formation rules contribute to the learners’ lexical resources and help them build a wide range

of vocabulary by learning suffixes, prefixes, and word origins (Mojgan & Fatemeh, 2017).
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 10

Written expression is also another component of a Balanced Literacy Program and directly

relates to Word Study Instruction. According to Williams and Lundstrom (2007), Word Study and

Interactive Writing Instruction can support young children’s spelling growth and their early

writing development. Six first grade students who were struggling to learn to read and write

participated in Reading Recovery at a Title I school. Throughout the week, their teacher devoted

a specific time each day to Word Study instruction. On Monday, she spent thirty minutes focusing

on explicit Word Study instruction, and she spent 10 minutes each day thereafter facilitating guided

practice. She reserved twenty minutes each day for guided reading instruction where students

observed phonemic and decoding strategies discussed. Additionally, their teacher also

implemented a thirty-minute time slot twice a month for an interactive writing lesson. Based on

the findings from this study, students applied and modeled their knowledge of strategic behavior

from scaffolded opportunities of Word Study instruction. Finally, students were able to show

mastery of spelling words.

Memory versus Mastery

Debate over the implementation of word studies versus traditional methods to teach

spelling words and patterns generates much discussion among scholars and educators. Much of

the debate centers on memory and mastery. Many students who learn spelling through rote

memorization struggle to apply this knowledge into written expression. In one fifth-grade resource

classroom, the teacher developed a rubric to assess spelling application in written expression

because traditional spelling assessments do not demonstrate spelling strategies used by students

when decoding and applying word knowledge. She compared each student’s rough draft and final

draft submissions rather than assessing students on a weekly Friday spelling tests. Loeffler (2005)

stated, “Assessing their spelling ability was more important to me than evaluating their
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 11

memorization skills” (p. 24). The teacher was able to see much improvement because students

were encouraged to use strategies and resources for spelling words in their written expression. She

found that most of her student’s final draft copies showed little to no spelling errors.

In another study, sixteen fifth grade students at a public school in Virginia participated in

a study to determine whether word studies increase levels of mastery and retention in comparison

to traditional methods of spelling instruction. This study took place over a four-week period.

During the first two weeks, a pretest followed by explicit word study instruction would take place

for twenty minutes each day. Students worked with word sorts, games, individualized instruction,

and vocabulary activities as guided practice. Following word study instruction, teachers presented

writing prompts where students applied their knowledge through written expression. At the end of

the each of the first two weeks, students completed a posttest to assess their understanding. The

researcher took a two-week hiatus on word study instruction. After this time-period was over, they

assessed students again over the most recent words studied through Word Study instruction, as

well as over the most recent list of traditional spelling words given to students. Researchers found

that many of the students showed much higher scores on the words from the Word Study

instruction than through traditional methods of rote memorization. Based on these findings, Collier

(2005) stated, “This study does point in the direction of a Word Study approach, and it is possible

that a more lengthy study would prove that” (p. 22).

Research-Based Methods for Implementation

“Word study is an approach to spelling instruction that moves away from a focus on

memorization” (Williams, Phillips-Birdsong, Hufnagel, Hungler, & Lundstrom, 2009). While

there are many ways educators can implement word studies into their classrooms, there are key

elements that make a word study superior to traditional spelling instruction. Word studies should
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 12

include benchmark assessments to gain knowledge into students’ initial understanding of word

formation. Formation of homogenous guided groups based on benchmark assessments is ideally

where word study instruction takes place. During small group instruction, lessons center on word

knowledge, not just memorization of words. “Focus your word study lessons on the way English

words work, so that students will form useful generalizations they can apply to words they want

to read or spell” (Williams, Phillips-Birdsong, Hufnagel, Hungler, & Lundstrom, 2009). In order

to teach word studies effectively, skills and strategies taught during homogenous groups must align

with instruction in reading, writing, and engaging activities for guided practice.

Summary of the Literature Review

After reviewing existing literature related to the correlation between word studies and

English-Language Arts, the difference between memorization and mastery, and research based

methods for implementing word studies in the classroom, there are still gaps in the literature

related to how word studies effect student achievement and application in written expression.

Rather than teaching to the test, as educators have traditionally been doing through rote

memorization, it is imperative for educators to change their instruction methods in order to foster

a change in student achievement and application beyond weekly spelling tests. This application

is necessary for success on state-mandated standardized testing as well as for success beyond the

classroom setting. It is imperative for educators to seek to find new strategies to implement that

will bridge the gap between memorization and application. Swope & Miner (2000) believe that

“… tests will never answer the questions of what our children need to learn to be leaders and

informed citizens in a multicultural, ever-changing world.” Preparing our students with the

ability to apply their knowledge of word patterns and word formation beyond a Friday spelling
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 13

test will foster student achievement and success both inside and outside of the realm of

academia.

Chapter 3: Methodology

Purpose and Research Questions

At the time of this study, this was my third year teaching third grade at Avery Elementary

School. My first two years, teachers used various resources to teach the English-Language Arts

curriculum; however there was not a standard curriculum used throughout the county. During those

two years, spelling words were a staple in many classrooms, mine included. During my third year

of teaching, Cherokee County School District adopted a Balanced Literacy Program with required

components for implementation in English-Language Arts classrooms. Of the many required

components, word study was among them. This change in spelling instruction called for research

on how word studies affect student achievement and application of word knowledge in written

expression. Based on this change and after considering the research that links traditional methods

of teaching spelling instruction through rote memorization to the lack of implementation in written

expression, it raises the research question: How do word studies effect student achievement and

application in written expression?

Participants

At the time of this study, I was a twenty-six year old Caucasian female in my third year

of teaching third grade. The sample size consisted of twenty-four students ranging from eight to

nine years old. Eleven of the students in my class were girls and thirteen were boys. Of the

twenty-four students, two students qualified for the gifted program (AIM) and two additional

students were eligible for testing for the gifted program. One student qualified for the English as
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 14

a Second Language (ESOL) program and one student received accommodations from a 504 plan

relating to spelling. One student received services from the Early Intervention Program (EIP) in

ELA after scoring below the twenty-fifth percentile on the Reading Comprehension EasyCBM,

Only one of the twenty-three students had a tier three RTI (Response to Intervention) plan. The

ethnic/racial population of my classroom breaks down into the following percentages: 87%

White, 8% Hispanic, and 5% Multi-Racial.

Research Design Method

Throughout this study, I used a mixed-method approach of gathering both qualitative data

in conjunction with quantitative data in order to obtain a truer picture of student learning. A

mixed-method approach also allows the researcher to triangulate data in order to ensure validity

and trustworthiness of the findings. According to Mertler (2016), “whereas quantitative research

studies focus on a relatively small number of variables, qualitative research studies utilize a

much broader, more holistic approach to data collection” (p. 11). While quantitative research

centers on theory, hypothesis, data, and conformation, it is not enough to gain insight into

student performance because application of language learning is observable beyond the scope of

summative assessments. The foundation of qualitative research is in observations, patterns,

tentative hypothesis, and then finally theory. As an educator, I think it is important to use each

of these throughout the study in order to create effective formative and summative assessments

and observations that enrich and improve teacher and student growth and achievement.

Word Study Instructional Approach

This study took place over a four-week timeframe. Each week students studied a new rule

as a class during an allotted ten-minute segment of English-Language Arts instruction. These

rules related to word patterns often found in spelling and centered on student performance on the
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 15

Word Knowledge Inventory. According to the Word Knowledge Inventory, students fall into one

of four spelling stages: phonetic, transitional, fluent, and advanced. Phonetic spelling instruction

centers on short vowel sounds, consonant blends, silent letters, and consonant diagraphs.

Transitional spelling instruction focuses long vowels and complex vowels. Fluent and advanced

spelling instruction consists of inflectional endings and multi-syllabic words.

During word study instruction,

students analyzed the spelling of words by

identifying patterns in their spelling.

Students also generated a list of additional

words related to the spelling patterns

presented each week. By utilizing shared

writing with imbedded examples, students

identified patterns of spelling in written

expression through guided practice.

Additionally, students completed a weekly

choice board as guided practice through

implementation of word patterns in writing.

The objective of this study was for students

to apply word knowledge into written expression. Prior to weekly instruction, a Work

Knowledge Inventory gave a baseline assessment of student performance and understanding.

Students participated in a “spelling test” (Table 4) on the first week of school. These results

provided evidence of areas of strengths and weaknesses used guide academic instruction in the

classroom. Both individual and collective charts provided a list of focus areas for word study
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 16

instruction. I kept the collective chart of focus areas (Table 5) in a Data Binder with tabs for each

student. Students placed individual charts (Table 6) in the Word Study tab of their Student Data

Binders along with their Word Study Inventory assessment.

TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 17
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 18

Data Collection

During this study, both quantitative and qualitative measures were a means for data

collection in order to give a true picture of student learning and application. The Word

Knowledge Inventory provided quantitative data measuring by how many words were spelled

correctly at the beginning of this study and then again at the end of this study. Additionally, the

Word Knowledge Inventory was also a qualitative means for data collection by observing

patterns and trends in student performance. Pre and post-tests also generated quantitative data for

comparison through each week of the unit. Prior to each unit of study, a pretest assessed student

understanding of word patterns. Pretests included a traditional spelling test of ten words

following a specific word pattern and a short story that included five of the ten words. At the end

of the week, a similar assessment focusing on the same word patterns analyzed student

application in written expression by utilizing a rubric. Quantitative data was also collected from

EasyCMB and STAR reading reports to measure student application of the decoding of words in

reading.

Qualitative data collection came from whole group instruction and word study

independent choice board observations and journal reflections. Additionally, I also took

anecdotal notes during small group instruction as well as whole group instruction based on

student verbal responses and social interactions.

After my initial Word Knowledge Inventory, chose three students to focus my data

collection on during the four-week timeframe. One student was a phonetic speller, one

transitional speller, and one fluent speller. Throughout the study, completed various “check-ins”

with the students to gauge their progress and application of word patterns and formation with

both qualitative and quantitative data collection. Additionally, I collected data samples of written
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 19

and constructed responses from these students across curriculum to compare their application

across curriculum.

Data Analysis

During data analysis, the Word Knowledge Inventory was the first piece of data

analyzed. Based on this information, a majority of my class were transitional spellers and the

focus of my lessons needed to be on consonant blends and silent letters. Two of my students

were phonetic spellers and their focus needed to be on short vowels, and four of my students

were fluent spellers with the focus on multisyllabic words. Based on this information, I chose to

center my whole-group instruction on consonant blends and silent letters. For the four students

who proved to be fluent spellers, I chose to enrich their choice boards with more difficult words

that followed a similar word pattern. For the two students who were phonetic spellers, I

completed interventions with them each week using the Cover, Copy, Compare strategy and

progress monitored their growth.

Furthermore, I looked for patterns and trends in student writing following their weekly

Word Study assessment. The rubric guided me through this data analysis process. Based on

student grades from week to week, I was able to assess the effectiveness of word study

instruction and the application of word patterns in writing. Additional work samples analyzed

student ability to apply their knowledge of word patterns in written expression. I also reflected

on my own observations from journal entries throughout the study.

Mertler (2016) states, “triangulation is the process of relating multiple sources of data in

order to establish their trustworthiness or verification of the consistency of the facts while trying

to account for their inherent biases” (p. 11). By using a mixed-method approach, I was able to

create a dialogue between various data sources. These data sources painted a true portrait of
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 20

student knowledge and understanding rather than basing findings on a single source of

information. This speaks to the reliability and verifiability of the data sources provided and used

in this study.

Chapter 4: Findings

Word Knowledge Inventory

This study focused on the primary research question: How do word studies effect student

achievement and application in written expression? The Word Knowledge Inventory was the first

piece of data analyzed. According to Scholastic, “analyzing the ways students spell can provide

insight into the way they decode and read words. There is considerable consistency between

spelling achievement and reading achievement through fifth grade.” Based on this information, I

gave students an initial list of twenty-five words to spell and decode. There is a combination of

short-vowel words with blends and diagraphs, long vowel and complex-vowel words, two-syllable

words, and multisyllabic words arranged by difficulty on the word list given to students. Upon

analysis of student work samples,

Word Knowledge Inventory
the data revealed that initially,
18

seventeen students were 16

14
Number of Students

phonetic, three students were

12
transitional, four students were 10

8 Initial
fluent, and zero students were
Final
6
advanced. After the four week
4

timeframe, nine students were 2

0
phonetic, six students were Phontetic Transitional Fluent Advanced
Spelling Stages
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 21

transitional, two students were fluent, and seven students were advanced.

Pre and Post Tests

During the four-week period, I administered pre and posttests each week. Pre and

posttests included a traditional spelling test as well as a written response using the word patterns

from each word study. A rubric assessed written expression. The table below shows the words

and word patterns studied.

Word Study Skill Words

Suffixes Grateful
-ful, Beautiful
-less Doubtful
-ness Fearless
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 22

Thankless
Motionless
Happiness
Forgiveness
Neatness
Greatness

Suffixes Conversation
-ion Invitation
-ment Starvation
Precipitation
Condensation
Punishment
Amazement
Movement
Amusement
Statement
Compound Words Overboard
Over Overall
Under Overnight
In Oversight
Indoor
Inside
Insight
Understand
Underneath
Underline
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 23

Compound Words Anywhere

Any Anything
Some Anyway
Every Anytime
Someone
Sometime
Somewhere
Everything
Everyone
Everyday

During my analysis, I chose three students to focus my data collection. One student was

phonetic, one transitional, and one fluent. I collected data samples from each student’s pre and

posttest for analysis. Based on the data collection, students made growth 66.7% of the time, and

students did not make growth 33.3%. The fluent speller did not make growth on 50% of the

assessments, however, their initial scores ranged from 40-55% higher than that of the phonetic

speller.

Pre and Post Tests

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Phonetic PreTest Phonetic Post Test Transitional PreTest Transitional Post Fluent Pretest Fluent Post Test
Test

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

 TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 24

Because of the direct correlation between spelling achievement and reading fluency and

comprehension, I also chose to analyze student performance on the CCSD EasyCBM

assessment. On this assessment, students must be able to apply their knowledge of word patterns

and decoding of words. There are four areas for qualification based on percentiles and student

performance. Based on the analysis below, in the initial assessment, seven students qualified as

exceeding, eight students qualified as proficient, six students were progressing, and three

students did not meet. On the final EasyCBM assessment, eleven students qualified and

exceeding, nine students qualified as proficient, three were progressing, and one did not meet.

Initial EasyCBM Data

9
8
Number of Students

7
6
5 Number EXCEEDING (>= 75)
4 Number PROFICIENT (>= 50 and < 75)
3 Number PROGRESSING (>= 26 and < 50)
2 Number DOES NOT MEET (>= 0 and < 26)
1
0
Number Number Number Number DOES
EXCEEDING (>= PROFICIENT (>= PROGRESSING NOT MEET (>= 0
75) 50 and < 75) (>= 26 and < 50) and < 26)

Final EasyCBM Data

12

10
Number of Students

8
Number EXCEEDING (>= 75)
6
Number PROFICIENT (>= 50 and < 75)
4 Number PROGRESSING (>= 26 and < 50)
Number DOES NOT MEET (>= 0 and < 26)
2

0
Number Number Number Number DOES
EXCEEDING (>= PROFICIENT (>= PROGRESSING NOT MEET (>= 0
75) 50 and < 75) (>= 26 and < 50) and < 26)
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 25

Student Surveys

Upon completion of each unit of study, I also had student participate in a survey. The

survey asked students to choose which platform they felt was the most beneficial for their

learning and why. Students could choose between ActivInspire Games, Choice Boards,

Flocabulary, Task Cards, or a Scoot. Based on the data collected, ActiveInspire was a class

favorite in both Week 1 and Week 2, with the highest percent at 58% of students preferred

ActiveInspire Games 25% of the time. Some written responses as an explanation were: “I liked

the Inspire because there were games and links to songs on YouTube to help us remember. We

also got to dance to them which was pretty cool.” Another response was, “The ActiveInspire was

fun because we got to do Kahoot! and that is my favorite.” In Week 3 and 4, Flocabulary

received the highest amount of votes at 38% of students. When asked why students chose

Flocabulary, one student said, “It’s like rap music, but for school. I like the songs.” Another

student said, “It’s easy to sing with the songs because the words are right there. It helps me to

remember what I am supposed to do.”

Student Interest Surveys

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
ActivInspire Games Choice Boards Flocabulary Task Cards Scoot

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 26

Chapter 5: Discussion

Prior to this study, there were gaps in research as to how word studies effect student

achievement and application in written expression. Educators traditionally teach spelling through

rote memorization; however, research indicates this is not enough to foster application in written

expression. The data analysis of the use and implementation of Word Study as an instruction

method shows growth in student achievement. As educators, we must take the necessary steps in

order to create a change in student achievement and application beyond weekly spelling tests.

Application of appropriate spelling in written expression is necessary for success on state-

mandated standardized testing as well as for success beyond the classroom setting. Word studies

bridge the gap between memorization and application.

Based on the literature review, many students who learn spelling through rote

memorization struggle to apply this knowledge into written expression. One example was a fifth-

grade resource classroom. A rubric assessed spelling application in written expression because

traditional spelling assessments do not demonstrate spelling strategies used by students when

decoding and applying word knowledge. Finally, she compared each student’s rough draft and

final draft submissions rather than assessing students on a weekly Friday spelling tests. Student

growth and improvement was evident based on rubrics. Students were encouraged to use

strategies and resources for spelling words in their written expression.

Implications

Similar to this study discussed in the literature review, the research provided supports the

implementation of word studies in correlation with written expression. Based on the data

analysis, students were able to apply their knowledge of decoding strategies and word patterns

into written expression using a rubric on pre and posttests.

TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 27

In the literature review, Stahl and Fairbanks (1986) said, research shows correlation of

vocabulary with reading comprehension and academic achievement. Word-formation rules

contribute to the learners’ lexical resources and help them build a wide range of vocabulary by

learning suffixes, prefixes, and word origins (Mojgan & Fatemeh, 2017). Data correlating Word

Studies to EasyCBM data shows the relationship between studying word patterns and reading

fluency and comprehension.

Limitations

The school used in this study was a high socioeconomic elementary school in Canton,

Georgia. The demographics at Avery Elementary School include mostly Caucasian and Hispanic

students. Avery has small populations of African-American and Multi-Racial students, only five

percent of students are English Language Learners (ELL), and thirteen percent of students have

disabilities. Because the socioeconomic status is predominately-upper-middle-class in Avery’s

districted area, it is difficult to generalize the data across varying populations.

Future Research

After implementing research-based methods to teach word patterns and strategies, word studies

had a positive influence on written expression. Based on the data provided in this study, future

research regarding the effects of word studies in relation to reading fluency and comprehension

would be beneficial when describing the importance of word studies as a whole in addition to the

current research question: How do word studies effect student achievement and application in

written expression?

Additionally, broadening this study to additional populations would ensure validity as

well as reliability in the findings. In the future, the teacher will implement the continued action
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 28

research throughout the remainder of the current school year as well as the following school year. Prior to

the following school year, the teacher needs approval from the administrative team and the Instructional

Lead Specialist (ILS) to continue implementing Word Studies in this capacity during the Balanced

Literacy Framework. Additionally, administration would need to approve of additional teachers

conducting this research. Based on this approval, additional third grade teachers will implement research-

based methods into instruction the following school year in order to generalize research to additional

populations. The administrative team as well as ILS will assess the teacher on the implementation of

Word Studies during the Balanced Literacy segment.

Future research will also use a mixed-method approach. Teachers will collect quantitative data

from CCSD Easy CBM benchmark assessments, Word Knowledge Inventory benchmark assessments,

and weekly pre/posttests. Teachers will collect qualitative data from student surveys and a teacher

observation journal. Resources needed include: Flocabulary subscription, access to benchmark

assessments, ActivInspire, Promethean/SMART board, Scoot/Task cards, common formative pre/posttest

assessments, and Scholastic Word Knowledge Inventory.

Chapter 6: Reflection/Next Steps

Because of the positive influence on student achievement due to implementing research-

based methods to teach word patterns, I will continue to integrate the use of Word Studies in my

classroom for the remainder of this school year. Additionally, the following school year, I will

continue to study how word studies effect student achievement and application in written

expression alongside my third-grade colleagues. Next year, the administrative team will assess

teachers on the implementation of Word Studies during the Balanced Literacy Framework. The

ILS will also assess and suggest additional materials and strategies to use in the classroom.

Third-grade teachers will discuss this implementation with parents and the community during

Curriculum Night at the beginning of the school year. In order to ensure this implementation is
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 29

acceptable, I will seek approval from administration as well as the ILS prior to the beginning of

the following school year. Easy CBM and Scholastic Word Knowledge Inventories fall, winter,

and spring benchmark data as well as weekly pre and posttest assessments will be used as

quantitative data. Student surveys and a teacher observation journal will be used as qualitative

data. Resources needed for implementation the following school year include: Flocabulary

subscription, access to Easy CBM and Scholastic benchmark assessments, ActivInspire,

Promethean board, Scoots/task cards, and pre and posttest assessments.

Meeting Standards

NBPTS Middle Childhood How my action research addressed the standards?

Generalist Standards (MCG,
ages 7~12)
1. Knowledge of Students The teacher used the data collected from Word
Accomplished teachers use Knowledge Inventories to guide instruction. The data
their knowledge of child collected gave the teacher knowledge of the students as
development, their knowledge learners in order to differentiate learning that will meet
of students as individuals, and individual needs of students.
their knowledge of students as
learners to develop and
strengthen relationships that
enhance learning.
6. Partnership and Outreach The teacher is in constant communication with parents
Accomplished teachers and the community about concepts being studied in the
establish and maintain classroom. The teacher sends out a weekly newsletter to
partnerships with families and inform the parents. Each student also writes the words
the greater community to they study each week in their agendas for parents to
enhance teaching and support sign.
student learning.
2. Respect for Diversity The teacher meets this standard by providing a variety
Accomplished teachers respect of avenues for students to learn. The teacher implements
and comprehend the complex choice boards in the classroom that allow students to
nature of diversity. They become global learners alongside their peers.
provide opportunities for all
students to access the
knowledge, skills, and
understandings they need to
become caring and thoughtful
participants in a global
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 30

citizenry.
4. Knowledge of Content and The teacher met this standard by participating in the
Curriculum graduate degree program. By furthering their education
Accomplished teachers draw on and delving deeper into the content of Word Studies and
and expand their knowledge of its impact on student achievement, the teacher is
content and curriculum to expanding her knowledge and implementing it in the
determine what is important for classroom to help her students experience what is
students to learn and experience important within the content area.
within and across the subject
areas of the middle childhood
years.
5. Instructional Decision The action research process defines this standard. When
Making participating in action research, teachers must assess
Accomplished teachers are plan, implement, and reflect to guide teaching and
effective instructional decision learning. Reflection is seen through the teacher
makers. They use a process of observation journal. Data drives the action research
assessing, planning, process through both qualitative and quantitative
implementing, and reflecting to collection.
guide teaching and learning.
3. Establishing an The teacher meets this standard by creating a classroom
Environment for Learning where students know that it is acceptable to make
Accomplished teachers mistakes and learn from them. The teacher creates
establish and maintain safe and opportunities for students to be successful but also
respectful learning communities create opportunities that are differentiated to students
that nurture relationships and needs.
create climates that promote
student engagement in learning.
9. Reflective Practice Reflection is a key component of action research. Like
Accomplished teachers reflect data, reflection drives instruction. Based on teacher
on their practice continually to observations and data, changes in instruction practice
improve the quality and must be made throughout the action research process.
effectiveness of teaching and The teacher meets this standard by providing and
learning. participating in reflection opportunities and changing
instruction to meet classroom and student needs.
7. Professionalism, The teacher meets this standard through the professional
Leadership and Advocacy development provided to other teachers during the
Accomplished teachers are action research process. Other third-grade teachers
leaders who advocate for the agreed to participate in this study the following school
teaching profession and student year because of the advocation of the importance of
learning. Word Studies in the classroom.

8. Responsiveness to Change The teacher meets this standard by looking at the

Accomplished teachers are strengths and weaknesses in relation to traditional
cognizant of the changes that methods od spelling instruction and Word Studies in the
occur in society and in classroom. While traditional methods have been used for
education. They thoughtfully many year, they do not prove best for the needs of our
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 31

and proactively analyze and students. The teacher responded to this change by
respond to change as it affects implementing Word Studies in the classroom as her
their students and their action research.
profession.
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 32

Chapter 7: Appendix
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 33
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 34
TEACHING SPELLING THROUGH WORD STUDY 35

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