Many students aren’t interested by week after week of 20-word spelling lists. But instead of just giving these students harder words, let then study more interesting words.
English is packed with words that originated from other languages. This rich heritage contributes to the rather unexpected spelling of English words. And, as advanced readers, your students are likely to encounter words and phrases such as:
- coup d’état
- zeitgest
- prima donna
Using these vocabulary lists, students will be better equipped to understand (and begin to use) words with foreign origins that would otherwise be impossible to decipher. It’s a fantastic way to increase the complexity of spelling and vocabulary lists – plus you don’t have to offer these lists to everyone. If you have struggling spellers, they can certainly work with the more basic lists included in your reading program.
You can find the lists and videos over at Byrdseed.TV.
PS: Here are four weekly tasks my students used during our vocab study.