WITHIN WORD PATTERN STAGE

OverviewThis is a transitional stage in which students are moving from learning to read to reading to learn. Most transitional students range from second, third, and early fourth graders. They are transitioning from reading one-syllable words fluently to reading most two or three syllable words with contextual support. At this stage, they are confusing long vowel patterns. Their vowel knowledge determines where they fall in the within word pattern stage. In the beginning of this stage, students have a good knowledge of short vowels but confuse the use of silent letters with long vowels. In the middle of this stage, students are spelling most long vowel patterns but have difficulty with other less common vowel patterns, including r-controlled. At the end of this stage, students seem to have a good command of the long vowel patterns including words with -k, -ke, and -ck endings. However, they are still confusing words with vowel diphthongs, variant vowel sounds, and r-controlled vowel sounds.

Developmental level characteristics

Characteristics of the Within Word Pattern Spelling Stage(adapted from Words Their Way, 4th ed. by Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, Johnston)

What students do correctly

What students use but confuse

What is absent

27Source: Bear, Donald R., et al. Words Their Way Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction, 4th ed. Pearson Learning.

Instructional Implications

Early Within Word Pattern

ship, when, jumpROBE for robFLOTE for floatTRANE for trainBRITE for bright

Consonants, blends, digraphs

Preconsonantal nasals (unk, ank, ink)

Short vowels in CVC words

R-influenced CVC words: car, for, her

Spell known sight words

Silent letters in long vowel patterns

k , ck and ke endings SMOCK for smoke, PEKE for peak Substitutions of short

vowels for ambiguous vowels: COT for caught

Vowels in unaccented syllable FLOWR for flower

Consonant doubling: SHOPING for shopping

Middle Within Word Pattern

float, trainFRITE for fightTABUL for table

All of the above plus: Common long-vowel

patterns (CVCe, CVVC)

-k, -ck, and –ke endings

Less common and ambiguous vowel patterns

-ed and other common inflections: MARCHT for marched, BATID for batted

Consonant doubling

E-drop: DRIVEING for driving

Late Within Word Pattern

BrightSPOYLE for spoil,CHOOD for chewedSURVING for serving

All of the above plus: Long-vowel patterns

in one-syllable words

Ambiguous vowel sounds such as vowel dipthongs and r-influenced vowel patterns

Complex consonant units: SWICH for switch, SMUGE for smudge

Vowels in unaccented syllables

Consonant doubling

Changing y to i: CAREES for carries

E-drop

Student Spelling Sample

This sample represents a student at the middle of the Within Word Pattern stage. We notice that this student hears the dominant vowel sound and doubles the final consonant when adding endings.

This student is using, but confusing variant vowel spellings and r-controlled spellings.Errors include:LEAVS for leavesBREAZ for breezeEVRY for everyBRITE for bright

28Source: Bear, Donald R., et al. Words Their Way Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction, 4th ed. Pearson Learning.

Instructional practices may include word study focusing on variant ways to spell long e and long i sound along with r-controlled vowel spellings for /er/.

General objectives in Standard V of HCPSS Language Arts Essential Curriculum Early

2 & 3-letter consonant blends, digraphs such as ch, sh, wh, th, and ph Some long vowel sounds formed by the final e pattern Blend one-syllable words that follow the CVCe pattern Complex (e.g., -ight) long vowel word families

Middle One-syllable words follow the CVC, CVCe, and CVVC pattern R-controlled vowel sounds

Late Variant consonant sounds such as /k/ spelled c, /s/ spelled c, /f/ spelled ph, /j/ spelled g,

/n/ spelled kn, /kw/ spelled q, /z/ spelled s, /r/ spelled wr, /ks/ spelled x and a silent gh. Vowel diphthongs such as aw, au, ew, oi, oy, oo and ow. Variant vowel sounds

Suggested activitiesSee the enclosed Word Study Activities for a full explanation.

Word Sorts: blind, closed, and open Word wall Personal dictionaries Games Concentration Word Hunts Draw, label, cut, paste Word sorts Bingo Making words Word wheels Show me Tachtistoscopes

29Source: Bear, Donald R., et al. Words Their Way Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction, 4th ed. Pearson Learning.