Then there is a dictation sentence. For now, it is read as many times as any student NEEDS it read. Ms. Leom walks around the room, making sure she isn't rushing any students, and monitoring their progress. It is worth four points:
- a clear capital letter in the beginning of the sentence
- a clear punctuation mark at the end of the sentence
- correctly spell any word FROM THE WEEKLY LIST correctly (basic words such as "the", "is", etc. should also be spelled correctly)
- correctly including all the words in the sentence
The first page is worth a total of ten points.
On the second page, there is one point per word. There are four sections.
The first section is usually a practice related to the homework assignment.
The second section requires students to write examples of the spelling pattern. Students are encouraged to use words FROM the test itself for ideas. Often there are words with the pattern on the page, and students only need to write it correctly.
The third section is a sorting section. The words are always provided. The students sort the words according to the pattern, and when they rewrite the words, they spell them correctly.
Finally, the fourth section wants to know WHY learning the spelling pattern is important to reading, writing, and spelling. Often students want to say, "it will help me when I grow up." Our reason why we learn spelling patterns in fourth grade is related to the idea, "Learning spelling patterns helps me read, spell, and write words correctly NOW." We don't have time to learn all the words and patterns as adults!!
All these sections are completed together. Ms. Leom reads the directions. If it is "new" to the class, she will even write other examples on the board.
If your child is struggling with the spelling tests, please look at previous tests being sent home and develop a plan for success. If you need help or ideas, please connect with Ms. Leom. Practice matters.
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