SPELLING /VOCABULARY 7
Mrs. Lilia Patriarca
St. Finn Barr Catholic School
School Year 2015-2016
Course Overview
Spelling and Vocabulary are useful skills in life. If the spelling is correct and the vocabulary is understood, it will be easier for the students to comprehend whatever materials they are reading. The spelling textbook, Scott Foresman, has thirty-six chapters including six chapters for unit review. Every week, the students are assigned to study the basic and challenge words in their textbook. They will also complete exercises using the following skills: sentence completion, synonyms, antonyms, analogies, context clues, riddles, word pairs, word association, making inferences, word building, and classifying.
The following Spelling lessons to be studied are:
CHAPTER 1 –GETTING LETTERS IN CORRECT ORDER
CHAPTER 2 –UNEXPECTED CONSONANT SPELLING
CHAPTER 3 – ONECONSONANT OR TWO?
CHAPTER 4 –HOMOPHONES
CHAPTER 5 –ADDINGed AND -ing
CHAPTER 7 –WORDS WITH NO SOUND CLUES
CHAPTER 8 –RELATED WORDS 1
CHAPTER 9 –ENDINGS -ty, -ity, -tion
CHAPTER 10 –IRREGULAR PLURALS
CHAPTER 11 –PLURAL OR POSSESSIVE?
CHAPTER 13 –VOWELS IN FINAL SYLLABLES
CHAPTER 14 –VOWELS IN UNSTRESSED SYLLABLES
CHAPTER 15 –GREEK WORDS PARTS
CHAPTER 16 –WORDS WITH -ice, -ise, -ize
CHAPTER 17 –COMPOUND WORDS
CHAPTER 19 –SUFFIXES -ary, -ery, -ory
CHAPTER 20 –LATIN ROOTS 1
CHAPTER 21 –PEOPLE SUFFIXES
CHAPTER 22 –EASILY CONFUSED WORDS
CHAPTER 23 –INCLUDING ALL THE LETTERS
CHAPTER 25 –WORDS FROM MANY CULTURES
CHAPTER 26 –RELATED WORDS 2
CHAPTER 27 –NUMBER PREFIXES
CHAPTER 28–LATIN ROOTS 2
CHAPTER 29 –USING JUST ENOUGH LETTERS
CHAPTER 31 –MULTI-SYLLABIC WORDS
CHAPTER 32 –RELATED WORDS 3
CHAPTER 33 –LATIN ROOTS 3
CHAPTER 34 –PREFIXES de-, dis-, non- un-
CHAPTER 35 –UNUSUAL SPELLINGS
Please take note that the spelling words for each chapter are also posted online. The students can use that resource if they leave their textbook in school.
In Vocabulary, the students will be introduced to 15 units with 20 vocabulary words in each unit. They will learn the definition of each word and how each word is used in a sentence. This textbook includes synonyms, and antonyms to widen their vocabulary. In my website, you will find the link to the vocabulary words. The students can use the audio to listen to the definition of each word. The Vocabulary Workshop website has flashcards, games, and puzzles for students to use to study in a fun way.
MATERIALS NEEDED
- A notebook,which will be used only for Spelling.
- A red pen, which will be used only for correcting assignments.
- A blue or black pen, which will be used for doing the assignments.
- Binder paper is needed for tests.
SPELLING NOTEBOOK
Since students are not allowed to write in the Spelling Book, they will use their notebook to write their answers for thechapter exercises. The notebook must be neat. Please don’t use the notebook pages for drawing and doodling.
EXTRA CREDIT IN SPELLING and VOCABULARY
For those students who struggle in Spelling and Vocabulary, I allow them to earn extra points by doing extra assignments. The extra credit must be turned in within a week after the test is returned to them. I assign extra credit. I will not accept any work for extra credit from students trying to save their grade at the last minute.
SPELLING/VOCABULARY CALENDAR
I created a calendar where both students and parents can monitor the due dates of assignments and testing dates. The calendar is also posted in both my website and the school’s website. I recommend that you subscribe to the school’s website so that homework dates can be delivered to your email account.
GRADING
Your child’s grade in Spelling will be based on the following criteria:
Spelling Workbook- 30%
The students are graded based on the completion of the exercises for each chapter. There are four pages in each chapter: introduction, think and practice, proofreading and writing, and vocabulary building. During the first chapter, students will be guided to what exercises to do and how to answer the pages. The workbook is done as seatwork in the classroom and will be assigned as soon as the work is understood.
Spelling Tests35%
The students will be graded based on the correct spelling of each assigned word. During the first and second quarters, the challenge words are given for extra credit. The challenge words will be a part of a test during the third and fourth quarters.
Vocabulary Tests – 35%
The students are tested based on the correct definition of each word. It is very important that the students take the time to study the vocabulary because it will have a significant impacton their spelling grade.
HOMEWORK POLICY
- Full credit for turning in assignments on time.
- Partial credit for incomplete and difficult to read assignments.
- 10 points deduction for each day a student fails to turn in the assignment.
- Full credit for excused absences.