If you’ve ever handed the same spelling list to a whole class of firsties, you know how it goes. A few of your firstie loves are bored, a few are in tears, and the ones in the middle are just hanging on. After 34 years in first grade, I can tell you one list for everyone just doesn’t work. That’s why my firstie besties do spelling in small, differentiated groups, and why I created my Happy Hearts Spelling Word Sorts to make it simple to run every single week.
Here’s exactly how it works in my Happy Classroom.
Step 1: Assess and Find the First Missing Skill
Everything starts with the Spelling Inventory, a quick placement assessment included in my Happy Hearts Spelling Word Sorts. I’m not looking for a score. I’m looking for the first skill each child hasn’t mastered yet, and that’s where they start. If a child can spell short vowel words but misses digraphs, digraphs is their group. Simple as that.
Right now my groups look like this:
- CVC short vowels: 8 students
- Digraphs: 11 students
- Magic e: 4 students
- Vowel teams: 1 student
Yes, one friend is in a group all by herself, and that’s okay! That’s the beauty of differentiating. Every child is working right where they need to be, and nobody is waiting on anybody else.
Step 2: Follow the Same Weekly Routine
The skills are different, but the routine is the same for everyone. That’s my secret to keeping it manageable. Once my firsties learn the routine, they can run it on their own, no matter which group they’re in. Each sort has its header words, its pattern words, and a couple of heart words (colored pink!) to practice too.
Monday: Learn It, Color It, Cut It
We learn the new skill together. One copy of the words goes home in our homework folder so families can practice too. Then students color their header words, cut apart their word cards, sort them, and put their initials on the back of each card (trust me, this saves so many “that’s mine!” moments). Everything gets stored in a ziplock baggy stapled to the inside cover of their spelling journal, so the words are always right where they need them.
Tuesday: Sort and Write
Students pull out their cards, sort them again, and write the words on the next clean page in their spelling journal. Sorting every day is where the magic happens. They’re not memorizing a list, they’re noticing the pattern.
Wednesday: Sort, Color, Type, Write
This is a class favorite! After sorting, students color the vowels red on their paper keyboard page, then practice typing their words and writing them on the lines below. It’s spelling practice and keyboarding practice in one, and those red vowels give extra visual support for finding the vowel in every word.
Thursday: Sort and Glue
One last sort, and this time it’s for keeps! Students glue their word cards on the next clean page in their journal under the correct headers. These pages make the sweetest record of growth to look back on.
Friday: Whiteboard Practice and Test
On Friday, students write their words on their whiteboards to warm up for their spelling test. Look at those proud faces! They draw their own columns and sort from memory, which shows me they really understand the pattern.
Step 3: Re-Assess and Regroup
After 5 to 6 weeks, I give the assessment again and regroup students based on their progress and mastery. Some firsties are ready to move up to the next skill, and some need a little more time with the same one. Groups are never set in stone. They change as my students grow, and that’s exactly what I want.
Why I Love It
- Every child is working at their level. No more one-size-fits-all lists.
- The routine runs itself. Same steps every day, so students know just what to do.
- Lots of hands-on practice. Coloring, cutting, sorting, typing, writing, and gluing keep little hands busy and engaged.
- Families stay in the loop with a copy of the words in the homework folder.
- The pattern sticks. Sorting every day helps students see how words work, not just memorize them.
Grab My Happy Hearts Spelling Word Sorts
If you’d like to try differentiated spelling groups in your classroom, my Happy Hearts Spelling Word Sorts have everything you need to get started:
- 103 weekly word sorts to use in class and for homework
- Spelling Inventory Checklist for your placement assessment
- 2 weekly spelling sort pages for gluing words under their headers
- 2 weekly spelling test forms, with spots for heart words and a sentence
- 2 progress monitor pages and a weekly assessment page for non-sorting skills
There are lots of options, so you can pick and choose what works best for your students!
Grab Happy Hearts Spelling Word Sorts here!
I’d love to hear how you do spelling in your classroom! Leave a comment below, and come say hi on Instagram @victoria_saied.
Happy teaching,
Victoria
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