I Can Switch It! Spelling

Sep 18

A sample of the I Can Switch It! Spelling Resource can be downloaded at the end of this post.

What is “I Can Switch It Spelling”?

Students are given individual letters cards to manipulate and spell 10 words that the teacher dictates. After the first word is spelled, each subsequent word is built by changing only one or two letters. The key instructional piece is that students are not told which letter(s) to change, rather, they sound out the word for themselves and determine which letter or letters have to change. In this way, these lessons mimic “word ladders.”

What is the purpose of “I Can Switch It Spelling”?

Research shows that having students learn a random list of spelling words does not transfer spelling accuracy to everyday writing. Our students need to learn the phonics spelling patterns of the different sounds in our language and then transfer those spelling patterns to multiple words. These lessons guide students to use and practice that skill.

The Three Parts to “I Can Switch It Spelling” Lessons

1st

Students use letter cards to build ten words. The correct spelling of each word is recorded on the “I Can Switch It” sheet.

This is a sample of a completed “I Can Switch It! Spelling lesson that focuses on CVC words with digraphs.

2nd

The teacher identifies 3 different spelling patterns that are included in 1 or more of the 10 words. Students highlight those spelling patterns within the words they recorded.

3rd

The skill of transferring the spelling patterns to different words is done by having students spell 3 additional words without using letter cards. The dialogue the teacher uses is, “If you can spell ___, then you can spell ___.”