Spelling Curriculum: Unit 1 THIRD GRADE

Unit 1 is an 8-week comprehensive spelling program with lessons that are fun and engaging. This spelling program is simple to tailor to your unique classroom needs. Each week includes 4 different spelling lists, interactive notebook activities, task cards, practice sheets, homework, and assessments. You can choose the lists and activities that work best for your students.

These spelling lessons are focused on spelling rules and patterns. This approach ensures that students gain a conceptual understanding of why words are spelled the way they are. It also increases the number of words they are able to spell. Instead of just memorizing the weekly word list, students will be gaining skills they can apply to new, unknown words.

The spelling curriculum includes a variety of ways to fit spelling into your routine. Only have time to teach spelling twice a week? No problem! Our sample schedules will show you how to make this program work for you in 2-5 days per week.

This Unit includes 8 weeks of spelling lessons–7 new skills followed by a week of review.

Each week follows the same format. You’ll only have to teach the expectations and procedures one time. After that, your students will know exactly what’s coming next in each week. From mini lessons to interactive notebooks, task cards to practice sheets and assessments, they’ll know what to expect. You’ll save so much class time!

Each ready-to-teach week is organized by spelling rules. The instructional PowerPoint is your complete mini lesson–just project on the board and teach. Daily student activities are effective and engaging–just print and copy for each student. We’ve also included a list of frequently asked questions to address some common concerns and help you troubleshoot.

Our spelling curriculum aligns with the Science of Reading through phonemic awareness, phonics, and word recognition. It provides a systematic approach to teaching spelling that supports decoding by helping students recognize and understand the relationship between individual sounds, patterns and syllables, and written symbols. 

• Students are explicitly taught how letters and groups of letters connect to sounds to form letter/sound relationships and spelling patterns. 
• Students are provided opportunities to read and write words in the practice pages, interactive notebooks, and task cards.
• Differentiated spelling lists provide appropriate instruction for all students. 

What’s Included:

• 8-weeks of spelling lessons – 7 new skills and 1 review week.
• Differentiated spelling lists (4 each week) and family letter for each week.
• 7 Anchor charts assist visual learners and provide a student reference throughout each unit.
• PowerPoint Mini lessons teach the rule, pattern, or skill to be covered each week in a ready-to-use interactive lesson; all you have to do is display the slides.
• Interactive notebook activities (2 per week) reinforce spelling rules – 1 focuses on the general use of the rule and the other focuses on applying the rule specifically to the spelling list.
• Task Cards (12 per week) are included for centers, review, or whole group activities.
• Practice sheets give students the opportunity to recognize the skill in written texts and bridge the gap between spelling and reading.
• Homework sheets (optional) provide additional practice before assessment
• Assessments cover both the weekly spelling list and general skill.
• Cover and Table of Contents make student organization easy.
• Spelling Inventory allows you to easily assess students and decide which spelling list is right for them.
• Sample Schedules show how to implement the spelling program in 2-5 days per week.
• Detailed teacher directions provide flexibility and make implementation in the classroom easy.
• A FAQs section provides answers to commonly asked questions about the resource and helps you get started right away.

Unit 1 Includes:

• Word Families
• Consonants & Vowels
• Syllables
• Short Vowel Sounds
• Long Vowel Sounds
• Consonant Blends
• Digraphs sh/th/ph
• Unit 1 Review

How to Use It in the Classroom:

Weekly Routine (Based on a 5-day routine):

• Day 1: PowerPoint mini lesson – whole group and individual practice; approximately 20 minutes
• Day 2: Interactive notebook and partner practice
• Day 3: Task card scoot
• Day 4: Practice sheet and partner practice; optional homework
• Day 5: Assessment

If you don’t have time for spelling all 5 days, use the sample schedules to modify this routine:

• Flexibility is built into this program. It is designed to be used between 2-5 days per week. See the sample schedules for implementation ideas.
• You can use the PowerPoint mini lesson for your whole group instruction. Project on the whiteboard and have students participate in the interactive lesson. Students can write words on individual whiteboards or spell with a partner.
• Complete interactive notebooks as a whole group activity or have students complete independently, such as during centers or morning work.
• You can integrate spelling work into reading centers if time permits.
• Partner practice takes only five minutes and can take place at any time throughout the day – try before lunch, after recess, or before dismissal.
• Interactive notebook pages, task card answer sheets, and assessments come two to a page to save time, paper, and copy costs. Simply print one sheet for every two students and cut it in half.
• The weekly spelling list and family letter are printed on the same sheet to save time and paper.
• Practice sheets and homework can be printed front to back.
• If you use the NSW Grammar notebook, the spelling program can fit into the same notebook.
• Practice sheets can be completed independently, in small groups, or as a whole class.

Differentiation:

This program was designed to make differentiation easy:

• Each week includes three differentiated spelling lists, for beginner, on-track, and advanced spellers, as well as a combined list. ALL LISTS focus on the same rule each week.
• Choose the appropriate list for each student; the spelling inventory can help you make the right choice.
• Reduce the number of spelling words to be memorized and focus on the spelling pattern.
• Assign the optional homework for extra practice.
• Use both interactive notebook activities for additional practice.
• Allow students to use their spelling lists as a resource when using task cards and practice sheets
• “Scoot” with beginning spellers to provide assistance as they complete the task cards.
• Provide additional time for partner practice.
• Challenge advanced students with specific directions for the “write a sentence” part of the practice activity.
• Grade both the spelling lists and spelling pattern part of the assessments, or just grade one section.

Why You’ll Love It

• Super-flexible spelling program can be tailored to fit YOUR schedule.
• You don’t have to be a phonics whiz to teach spelling! The PowerPoints make it so easy that even a substitute could teach it!
• Every single student is learning the same rule each week. You don’t have to teach multiple lessons.
• Teaches students WHY words are spelled the way they are, which will help them spell more new words correctly.
• Aligned with the Science of Reading.

Additional Resources You Might Like:

Third Grade Spelling Curriculum Unit 2

Third Grade Spelling Curriculum Unit 3

Third Grade Spelling Curriculum Unit 4