CCSS Second Grade Spelling Skills

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.3a Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.3b Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.3e Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.2.3c Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.2c Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.

Specific Second Grade Spelling Knowledge

Single Consonants
Tense (long) vowels
R-controlled vowels
Diphthongs
Consonant blends
Consonant digraphs
Silent letters and oddities
Irregular Spellings
Anglo Saxon Compound Words
Syllable Pattern closed
Syllable Pattern open
Syllable Pattern consonant –le
Syllable Pattern R-Controlled
Syllable Pattern VCe
Syllable Pattern Idiosyncratic (schwa)
Orthographic rules and syllable a juncture
Word-final (v): -ve
The F, L, S doubling rule
Doubling final consonant rule
Change Y to I rule
Drop silent E rule
Homophones

Fundations Spelling

2.1-2.3 Review of first grade skills including CVe, digraphs, blends, nasal consonants, consonant doubling, and inflections introduce vowel teams and diphthongs

2.3-2.5 Introduce open syllables, continue vowel teams, silent e exceptions,

2.5-2.6 R Controlled, homophones, continue vowel teams

2.6-2.8 Continue vowel teams, final stable

Strengths

-Strong scope and sequence with daily phonological awareness drills

-Closely aligned with spelling development, although pacing is slow at times and oddly fast at other times

-Sight word instruction

-Builds a strong phonological base before introducing orthography

-Tight scope and sequence

-Quick pacing of the vowels teams, although most programs are introducing these in first grade

-Strong emphasis on inflections

-Embeds other language skills

Weakness

-Final Stable syllable not introduced until the end of the program

- Schwa not introduced

-Strong synthetic approach to spelling, lacks analytical instruction

-Teachers with weak content knowledge in phonology and orthography might not understand the purpose of certain activities

-Pacing in first grade seems slow and then speeds up too quickly at the beginning of second grade

-Teaches silent e misconceptions

Words their Way Spelling

2.1-2.4 Within word pattern Middle to Late

1.  Lesson common vowel teams for long a, e, i, o, and u

2.  R-Controlled vowels

3.  Diphthongs

4.  Complex consonant and rare consonants (ge, hard and soft c & g,

Strengths

-Focus is on a specific pattern before mixing the pattern

-Progresses in a logical manner CVC to VCe to CVVC words

-Starts with the most common long vowel spellings in first grade

-Become rigorous towards the end by mixing into sorts

-Analytical approach to spelling

-Strong differentiation

- Strong pacing which is driven by the students’ needs

-Builds a strong phonological base before introducing orthography

-Multiple syllable words can be addressed early

Weakness

-No specific introduction of final stable, or schwa syllable types -

-Doesn’t really indicate a grade level for the stages of spelling development

- No direct instruction in common sight words

-Inflections are not directly taught

-Strong pacing but planning is entirely up to the teacher, thus requiring the teacher to have a strong phonology and orthography knowledge set.

Hough and Mifflin Spelling

2.0-2.8 20 Weeks of Instruction with 5 lessons each

Each week introduces spelling pattern, sight words, phoneme and phonological awareness

Weeks 1-20- Essentially the same skills as 1st grade in more detail

2 weeks of short vowels

2 weeks of VCe

Two weeks of blends and double consonants

1 week of consonant digraphs

6 weeks of vowel teams

Ends in r controlled, contractions, le endings and inflections

Strengths

-Strong sequence of instruction that has children immediately with a strong review of kindergarten skills in the beginning

-Strong emphasis on phoneme awareness with blending and segmenting skills

-Sight words are addressed immediately

-Words are used in context with text

-Pacing and planning are clearly laid out, however spelling principles are not explicit so the teacher needs a robust knowledge of phonology and orthography

-Strong instruction with inflections

Weakness

-Doesn’t teach that a vowel team is one element (uses separate letters when building like a and i instead of an ai manipulative)

-Lacks basic orthography information (assumes teachers know the 5 principles of English spelling)

-Lacks necessary repetitions of instruction for specific content to build towards mastery

-Spelling lists are not explicit

-Mostly synthetic in this grade level

-Final Stable syllable (Cle) taught at the end and in K-2 only addressed for one week

-R controlled introduced late in first grade and not again until the end of 2nd grade

-Why only 20 weeks of instruction?