Vance – Action Research Topic:

Does teaching spelling patterns through word study improve student spelling ability rather than teaching spelling through
rote memorization?
Topic APA citation Brief Methodology Key findings How this article/book
of summary of used – bullet might inform your action
article/book the point research:
article/book description of
what was done
1 Word Study: A Dew, T.
Look at
The purpose
(2012). Word of this article
- Spelling
inventory
- The lowest
students did
- I will use the findings and
methodology when
Improving Study: A is to share the - Group students not benefit preparing word study
Learning and Look at effectiveness based on much from activities and assessments.
Retention of Improving of the word readiness word study. While most of the students
Spelling Learning and study - Students will - Other enjoyed Words Their Way, it
Retention of program begin to explore students did not prove to be
Spelling. Words Their word patterns enjoyed the academically beneficial.
Way (Bear et. and phonemic word study, Because of these findings, I
al., 2008) to awareness to but it did not will not implement the
improve successfully prove to be Words Their Way study into
spelling learn spelling academically my word study.
retention of words opposed beneficial.
first graders to traditional
in a regular rote learning
education and drilling.
classroom in
the Spring of
2012.

2 The Rise and Fenton, R.,

Fall of a
This paper
Stofflet, F., & reports the
- Groups of
teachers
- In general,
fall averages
- The findings stated that this
type of teaching was
Standards Straugh, T. creation, developed 100 were lower in successful; however, content
Based Spelling (2003). The implementati word lists of elementary areas that were assessed
Assessment: Rise and Fall on, and "high frequency grades and fall through high-stakes testing
Did Spelling of a discontinuatio words" that all took precedence in following
 Improve or Is Standards n of a students are to spring gains years. This is interesting and
it Just Another Based standards expected to were larger. often true in the classroom,
Case of Spelling based spelling know upon - Overall, gains especially in grades that
Teaching to the Assessment: assessment completion of in grade level participate in standardized
Test? Did Spelling program in grades 2 through performance testing. The shift moved
Improve or Is Anchorage, 10. were from teaching spelling to
it Just Alaska. - Lists went significant for teaching spelling through
Another Case through a review all grades. writing. This informs my
of Teaching process but - This paper action research because
to the Test?. there were often shows that a these beliefs align more with
disagreements standards- where our county is in
among teachers based system regards to spellings. While
about the with spelling is important,
inclusion of assessment spelling in correlation to
individual words built in can writing is more important.
as being "too improve Because of this, my word
easy" or "too student- study should be built into my
hard" for the spelling writing time.
grade in performance
question. over a short
- Anchorage period of time.
School District
test developers
worked with the
Anchorage
School District
Executive
Director for
Curriculum and
Evaluation and
the Anchorage
Language Arts to
develop multiple
 forms of 20 item
spelling tests for
grades three
through eleven.
- A balanced
matrix sampling
model was
adopted for
spring and fall
testing.

3 No More
Friday Spelling
Loeffler, K. A.
(2005). No
This article
focuses on the
- A rubric for
spelling was
- Students
receive credit
- This was such a great
article. I love the spelling
Tests? More Friday development used with fifth- for identifying rubric and cannot wait to
Spelling of an grade students misspelled implement this in class. I love
Tests?. alternative in a resource words. that the author said,
Teaching spelling room setting. - Students use “Spelling becomes more
Exceptional assessment - Students circle an effective meaningful when it is used in
Children, for students unfamiliar strategy to context.” This is so true. I will
37(4), 24-27. with learning words in writing. counteract use the methodology and
disabilities. -Model a spelling their disability. findings to drive my
self-check in - Teachers assessments during action
writing. identify the research.
- Assessment is spelling
done by strategies that
comparing students are
rough and final using
drafts. effectively.
- One-on-one - Spelling
conferences becomes more
bases on meaningful
assessments when it is used
in context.
 - Spelling
rubrics allow
teachers to
evaluate
spelling in
context and
provide grades
that replace
traditional
spelling scores.

4 Improving
Spelling
Cordewener,
K. H.,
This study
examined the
- 72 third-grade
low- and high-
- Regarding the
immediate
- Based on the findings from
this article, I believe
Performance Verhoeven, immediate skilled speller effects, the implementing strategy
and Spelling L., & Bosman, and sustained - Spellers were strategy- instruction to be the most
Consciousness A. T. (2016). effects of assigned to a instruction beneficial. The author
Improving three training strategy- condition was emphasizes the importance
Spelling conditions on instruction, self- more effective of instruction of spelling
Performance both spelling correction, or for spelling rules, application, and visual
and Spelling performance no-correction performance, imagery in the spelling
Consciousnes and spelling condition. The and more context. Because of this, I
s. Journal Of consciousness role of spelling effective for plan to implement these into
Experimental . ability and word spelling the word study aspect of my
Education, characteristic consciousness writing segment.
84(1), 48. were also taken pertaining to
doi:10.1080/ into account. loan words
00220973.20 than the no-
14.963213 correction
condition.
- Regarding the
sustained
effects on
spelling
performance
 and spelling
consciousness,
the positive
effect of the
strategy-
instruction
condition
faded out after
training.
- The training
sessions were
insufficient for
establishing
long-lasting
effects.

5 Testing
spelling: How
Daffern, T.,
Mackenzie, N.
The focus of
this article is
In this study,
spelling
Results of a
series of
- The findings from this
article will inform my action
does a M., & on the achievement multiple research because some of the
dictation Hemmings, B. assessment of data from the regression sample size came from a
method (2017). spelling. National analyses third grade class setting.
measure up to Testing Tasks were Assessment (MRAs) were
a proofreading spelling: How observed that Program – based on a
and editing does a require the Literacy and sample of low-
format?. dictation production of Numeracy achieving and
method words from (NAPLAN) high-achieving
measure up dictation, or Language spellers from
to a the Conventions the Australian
proofreading proofreading Test (a Capital
and editing and editing of proofreading Territory
format?. spelling and editing (ACT) in Year 3
Australian errors are based measure) (n=145), Year
Journal Of common. and the 4 (n=117),
Language & Components of Year 5 (n=133)
Literacy, Spelling Test and Year 6
40(1), 28-45. (CoST) (a (n=117).
dictation based Findings
measure) were indicated
examined. significant
relationships
between
scores in the
spelling
domain of the
NAPLAN
Language
Conventions
Test and the
phonological,
orthographic
and
morphological
subscales
scores of the
CoST. Further,
the
orthographic
subscale of the
CoST was
generally the
main predictor
of NAPLAN
spelling across
year level.
Analysis also
demonstrated
that gender
 was not an
influential
factor.
6 The Impact of
Word Study
Cheri, W., &
Krissy, H.
The research
reported here
The researchers
investigated
Results of the
study indicated
Based on the findings of this
article, I believe that when
Instruction on (2005). The examined kindergarten that the implementing my action
Kindergarten Impact of word study as children's classroom research, it would be most
Children's Word Study an approach transfer of teacher taught beneficial for students to
Journal Instruction to spelling specific words, the children a receive instructional-level
Writing. on instruction. word wide range of word study instruction
Kindergarten knowledge, fundamental during the small group
Children's concepts about concepts and setting.
Journal print, and strategies, and
Writing. strategies for all of the focal
Research In spelling students
The Teaching unknown words transferred
Of English, to their self- word study
(3), 233. selected journal instruction to
writing. their
independent
writing. The
teacher's
whole-group
approach,
however, did
not meet the
instructional
needs of the
children with
the highest or
the lowest
literacy
 knowledge and
ability.
7 Word Study
Instruction and
Williams, C.,
& Phillips-
This project
investigated
The researchers
examined the
Results of the
project suggest
Because the sample size of
students is so close in age to
Second-Grade Birdsong, C. six 2nd-grade students' use of that some the students I teach, I found
Children's (2006). Word students' use the orthographic students may this study extremely useful.
Independent Study of word study principles, need explicit Based on the findings, it is
Writing Instruction instruction to sample words, instruction on important for students to
and Second- mediate and spelling how to apply have explicit instructions and
Grade spelling while strategies that what they have procedures on how to
Children's writing in had been taught learned implement the word study
Independent their journals. during through word process into their
Writing. developmental study independent writing.
Journal Of word study instruction to
Literacy lessons. the writing
Research, process.
38(4), 427-
465.

8 Strategy
Instruction
Cheri, W., &
Ruth P., L.
This article
investigated
- Researchers
began their
Researchers
found that the
Based on these findings, I
would like to implement
during Word (2007). explicit investigation in a students interactive writing through
Study and Strategy strategy Title I reading learned and guided practice with an
Interactive Instruction instruction groups—six first used a number instructional activity that
Writing during Word paired with graders who of the spelling will build a bridge between
Activities Study and guided were struggling words and word study lessons and
Interactive practice in with learning to spelling students’ independent
Writing using those read and write. strategies that writing.
Activities. strategies - The researcher were taught in
The Reading during met with the their writing.
Teacher, (3), authentic children every
204. writing day for 30
activities. minutes.
 - During this
time she worked
with students on
explicit word
study
instruction,
guided reading,
and interactive
writing
9 Teaching Word
Formation
Mojgan, R., &
Fatemeh, P.
- Focus on
form (FonF)
In order to
obtain
The results
indicated that
This article focuses on word
formation rather than rote
Rules and (2017). instruction comprehensive in the first and memorization. This is a key
Vocabulary Teaching has been the results, we second phases importance of the word
Knowledge Word source of adopted a mixed there were study program that should
Expansion: Formation much debate methods design significant be implemented in the
Proactive Rules and in the domain and performed differences classroom setting.
Versus Vocabulary of SLA and the study in between the
Reactive Focus Knowledge different three phases word
on Form Expansion: studies have with six different formation
Proactive addressed its groups of knowledge of
Versus impact on learners. Two the learners in
Reactive different groups of the the proactive
Focus on language pre-intermediate and reactive
Form. skills and sub learners in each FonF groups
International skills. phase were while in the
Journal Of - The present selected and third phase no
Applied study assigned to statistically
Linguistics employed reactive and significant
And English proactive and proactive FonF difference was
Literature, reactive FonF instructions. The observed with
Vol 6, Iss 4, instructions participants took regard to the
Pp 199-210 to teach word a word groups’ word
(2017), (4), formation formation
 199. rules to multiple-choice formation
doi:10.7575/ enhance the pretest, received knowledge.
aiac.ijalel.v.6 learners’ the treatment for
n.4p.199 vocabulary 16 weekly
knowledge. sessions, and
participated in a
posttest.
Moreover, we
used a checklist
to keep a record
of the
participants’
attitudes,
behaviors, and
grammatical
errors during
the treatment
that we believed
could improve
the quality of our
treatment in the
following
phases.

10 Is Word Study
the Best
Coiner, J. M.
(1995). Is
A study
investigated
Subjects, 16
fifth-grade
Results
indicated that:
I found the findings of this
article extremely interesting
Approach to Word Study the source of students at a (1) no in regards to my topic of
Spelling the Best teacher public school in significant choice. Our districts push is
Instruction? A Approach to frustration a suburban area difference word study, while these
Study in the Spelling concerning of central between findings suggest the
Effectiveness Instruction? their students' Virginia, were posttest scores traditional approach to
of Word Study A Study in spelling formed into of the group spelling may be just as
vs. a the abilities and groups based on and the year- beneficial as word studies.
Traditional Effectiveness whether or performance on to-date
Approach to of Word not word a qualitative average; (2)
Spelling Study vs. a study inventory of none of the
Instruction Traditional increases word instructional
Approach to retention as knowledge. groups showed
Spelling opposed to a Subjects were statistically
Instruction. traditional exposed to a significant
approach to word study increases on
spelling approach to the posttests;
instruction. spelling and (3) one
instruction for group scored
two weeks. significantly
Posttests were higher on the
administered at retention test
the end of each after the word
week of study
instruction, and instruction,
retention tests another
were group's scores
administered neared
two weeks after statistical
completion of significance,
instruction. and the third
group scored
better after
traditional
instruction
than after
word study
instruction.
How could you group these articles together? This will be important for the actual literature review portion of your
paper. You don’t want to do summary paragraphs – you want to talk about the articles in how findings are
similar/different.

These articles fall into two categories: those who are pro word studies for teaching spelling in the classroom and those who
are for the more traditional way of teaching spelling. Articles that believe word study is more effective propose ways of
implementation in the classroom. Some of the ways mentioned were through implementation of phonics skills and strategies
for decoding words, guided reading, and through both guided and independent practice in writing. Many of the articles found
that students applied their knowledge to their writing more often when they were taught through the word study. They also
believe that guided practice and instruction was more effective than through spiral reviews and through rote memorization.
Some of the articles also discussed how to assess students and suggested using a rubric on written assignments. These
suggestions will be a great use for implementing word studies in my classroom.