Pennington Publishing Blog

Common Core Spelling Standards

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The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English Language Arts provide instructional challenges for all conscientious upper elementary and middle school teachers. In addition to the Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening Strands, teachers are expected to teach the grammar, mechanics, language application, spelling, and vocabulary Standards of the CCSS Language Strand (Standards L. 1-6). When establishing instructional priorities to address these Standards, many teachers have placed spelling (Standard L. 2) on the back-burner.

It’s not that teachers devalue spelling instruction. Instructional time and the diverse instructional needs of our students are the key instructional concerns. Teaching is reductive-spending time on this takes away from that. Instructional decision-making is largely about establishing priorities. So, curricular materials must afford teachers the choices to reflect those priorities.

Recently I attended an all-day introduction to the Common Core State Standards sponsored by my school district. As expected, the changes in the reading standards assumed the vast amount of instructional attention. Writing standards were allotted an hour and listening and speaking standards a mere ten minutes. A passing reference was given to the language standards of grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary. However, spelling (Language Standard 2.0) was not mentioned.

Perhaps our trainers were taking their cues from the minimal references to spelling in the Language Strand of the Common Core State Standards. Following are the spelling standards from Grades 4−8:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.2e Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.5.2e Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.2b Spell correctly.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.2b Spell correctly.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.8.2b Spell correctly.

Hardly the specificity or attention that most parents, teachers, and administrators would desire, especially given the heavy focus on phonics, syllabication, and word analysis in the primary grades and the sound-spelling emphases of CCSS contributors to the appendices.

Indeed, those same authors would readily acknowledge that teaching explicit spelling patterns in conjunction with reading has a solid research base. The spelling-reading (encoding-decoding) connection is well-established at every stage of word study—from sound-spelling relationships in the primary grades to derivational and etymological influences from elementary through high school.

Perhaps their assumption is that all students have mastered the sound-spelling relationships, derivational, and etymological underpinnings of our language by the end of third grade. Our new standards are rigorous, but even so…

So what about students who clearly have not mastered the basic sound-spellings by, say, eighth grade? The Common Core State Standards shy away from this all-too-often reality in many schools. Here is the advice:

“The Standards set grade-specific standards but do not define the intervention methods or materials necessary to support students who are well below or well above grade-level expectations.”

My take is that teachers are going to have to flesh out meaningful spelling instruction beyond the third grade level to benefit our students. Additionally, students who have not mastered those primary grade sound-spelling patterns and sight words deserve our addition in the upper elementary, middle school, high school, and community college settings. We can help students “keep up” with grade-level instruction and “catch up” on spelling pattern deficits.

The author of the Pennington Publishing Blog, Mark Pennington, has written a comprehensive Grades 4-8 language series to teach each of the grade-level Common Core Language Standards. Teaching the Language Strand provides interactive grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling lessons, a complete spelling patterns program, language application openers, and vocabulary instruction. Simple sentence diagrams, error analysis, mentor texts, writing applications with sentence combining and sentence manipulation, and formative assessments are woven into each lesson. Students learn to apply these language standards in both the writing and reading contexts. Each instructional component includes diagnostic assessments and remedial worksheets to help the teacher easily individualize instruction. Previews of the grade-level teacher guides and student workbooks are available on the author’s website.

Spelling/Vocabulary Common Core Language, Common Core Spelling, Spelling Standards

One of the true joys and responsibilities of parenthood is teaching your child to read. But wait… isn’t that the teacher’s job? Of course it is, but the best approach is always an effective and complementary home-school partnership. As a parent of three boys, an MA Reading Specialist, and an author of numerous reading textbooks, I have a few practical tips to help you teach your child to read and read well. And the tips work equally well with four-year-old and fourteen-year-old readers.

Developing a Literate Home Environment

Plenty of research studies demonstrate a positive correlation between skilled readers and their literate home environments. Having books and other print media visible and readily accessible in the home fosters a certain reading atmosphere. Discussing books while driving to school or waiting in the doctor’s office builds comprehension and vocabulary. Modeling reading in the home shows the value you place on literacy. Reading a newspaper after dinner, rather than watching a re-run of The Big Bang Theory, says something to your child.

Reading to Your Child

Reading to your child, regardless of age or reading level, certainly makes a difference. Reading out loud helps model expression and attention to punctuation. Reading out loud also provides an opportunity to model “talking to the text.” Practicing reading as a reader-author dialogue will help your child understand and retain textual information far better than readers who simply passively read the printed words.

Try modeling my SCRIP Comprehension Strategies to teach this interactive reading: Summarize means to put together the main ideas and important details of a reading into a short-version of what the author has said. Connect means to notice the relationship between one part of the text with another part of the text. Re-think means to re-read the text when you are confused or have lost the author’s train of thought. Interpret means to focus on what the author means. Frequently authors suggest what they mean and require readers to draw their own conclusions. Predict means to make an educated guess about what will happen or be said next in the text. Good readers check their predictions with what actually happens or is said next.

Getting Your Child to Read on Their Own

Although watching and listening to an expert about how to use a tool has some value, learning to use that tool on our own is the goal. Teaching your child to be an effective independent reader requires consistent and sufficient practice, but also a bit of teaching know-how.

First, let’s address the reluctant reader problem. Waiting for your child to want to read will produce a long wait for many parents. Although you would love your child to be avid reader, few children fit into that category. None of my three boys liked to read, but all did. They were required to read throughout the year (summers and vacations too), sometimes by their teachers and sometimes by me for thirty minutes reading, five days per week. Over the years all three boys read an amazing amount of books. Sometimes we permitted comic books, magazines, and newspapers, but mostly books. And our boys read both expository and narrative texts. We did offer some free choice, but not always, and independent reading requirement continued until they got their drivers’ licenses. All three boys are now avid readers as adults.

Next, let’s discuss how to select books for independent reading. As I mentioned, we did offer some free choice, but within certain parameters. Knowing that independent reading is the most efficient means of vocabulary acquisition, I suggest that parents should strive to help their children select books at close to the 5% unknown word level. In other words, a child should know and be able to define or explain the meaning of most all, but not all words on a given page. The 5% unknown word recognition level provides enough unknown vocabulary words to enable reader acquisition through context clues, but not too many unknown words to interfere with comprehension. Some dictionary use makes sense, but a readily parent can help with essential words as well.

Lastly, let’s get real. Without accountability your child will not read or will not read well. Teaching your child to read at home does require some monitoring. A daily discussion of the reading during dinner or on the way to the soccer game, using the SCRIP Comprehension Strategies as discussion prompts, will ensure careful reading and promote comprehension development as well. And what better way to keep the lines of communication open with your child than to discuss the world of ideas within the pages of a book? Teaching reading to your child may be an important parental responsibility, but it is also a true joy that will turn your child into a lifelong reader.

Mark Pennington, MA Reading Specialist, is the author of the comprehensive reading curriculum, Teaching Reading Strategies. 

Reading independent reading, reading comprehension, reading programs, reading strategies, reading to your child, reluctant readers, teaching reading

“able” Spellings

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Common Core Language Standard: L.8.2c*

Pre-teaching: The “able” and “ible” suffixes are frequently confused by spellers. Both suffixes generally sound the same with the vowel taking the nasal short /ŭ/ schwa sound.

Definitions and Examples: End a word with “able” if the root before has a hard /c/ or /g/ sound (despicable, navigable), after a complete root word (teachable), or after a silent e (likeable).

Of course… What would a spelling rule be without a few exceptions?

collapsible, contemptible, irresistible, memorable, portable, probable, capable

Spelling Rule Song: (to the tune of “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt”)

Base words add “able” to the end,

John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt,

As do word parts,

That’s my name, too.

That end in silent e

Whenever we go out-

Or with hard c or g

The people always shout,

But for all others add “i-b-l-e”.

Saying, “John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.”

Check out the spelling song: The “able” or “ible” Spelling Rule

Practice: What’s right and what’s wrong according to the rule? Every applicable rule has been applied to eligable and agreeable citizens. The changable nature of our laws can be frustrating.

Formative Assessment Dictation: His likeable and huggable granddaughter felt comfortable in his home and invincible on the volleyball court.

Related Language Standards: The Vulgar “a” Spelling

*Suggested Grade Level

The author of the Pennington Publishing Blog, Mark Pennington, has written a comprehensive Grades 4-8 language series aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Teaching the Language Strand (of the Common Core State Standards) provides interactive grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling lessons, a complete spelling patterns program, language application openers, and vocabulary instruction. Simple sentence diagrams, error analysis, mentor texts, writing applications with sentence combining and sentence manipulation, and formative assessments are woven into each lesson. Students learn to apply these language standards in both the writing and reading contexts. Each instructional component includes diagnostic assessments and remedial worksheets to help the teacher easily differentiate instruction. Previews of the grade-level teacher guides and student workbooks are available on the author’s website.

Spelling/Vocabulary able, able rule, able spelling, able suffix, ible, ible rule, ible spelling, spelling rules

Vulgar “a” Spellings

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Common Core Language Standard: L.8.2*

Pre-teaching: Spelling and vocabulary are closely linked. Spelling is often influenced by vocabulary.

Also, remember that words have both denotative and connotative meanings and that the meaning of a word often influences the spelling of that word.

Definitions and Examples: The word vulgar simply means “common.” This definition is its denotation, or exact meaning. However, vulgar is also means “negative or evil.” This definition is its connotation, or commonly associated meaning. The vulgar “_ar,” “_al,” and “_an” spellings often appear in roots and suffixes. Examples: beggar, dismal, pagan.

Writing Style Hints: Knowing the connotative meaning of a word can help you choose when to use these vulgar spelling words with precision. Using words with a specific connotation can help you establish the mood or tone of your writing.

Practice: The Secretary of Labor’s resistance to any internal investigation made his repeated denials of wrongdoing seem like he had something to hide.

Formative Assessment Dictation: The scandal produced the usual denials and resistance to come clean with the truth.

Writing Application: Write an opening sentence to set the tone of a murder mystery using at least two forms of these vulgar a words: buzzard, blizzard, abnormal, veteran.

Related Language Standards: Ten English Accent Rules

*Suggested Grade Level

The author of the Pennington Publishing Blog, Mark Pennington, has written a comprehensive Grades 4-8 language series aligned to the Common Core State Standards. Teaching the Language Strand (of the Common Core State Standards) provides interactive grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling lessons, a complete spelling patterns program, language application openers, and vocabulary instruction. Simple sentence diagrams, error analysis, mentor texts, writing applications with sentence combining and sentence manipulation, and formative assessments are woven into each lesson. Students learn to apply these language standards in both the writing and reading contexts. Each instructional component includes diagnostic assessments and remedial worksheets to help the teacher easily differentiate instruction. Previews of the grade-level teacher guides and student workbooks are available on the author’s website.

Spelling/Vocabulary a sound spellings, banal spellings, common core spelling standards, language standards spelling patterns, Language Strand, schwa, spelling exceptions, vulgar a

Subject and Verb Agreement

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Common Core Language Standards: K-5 L.1.f.

Pre-teaching: The subject is the “do-er” of the sentence. It tells whom or what the sentence is about. The simple subject is the common noun, proper noun, or pronoun that the verb acts upon. The complete subject includes additional words that describe the simple subject. The compound subject describes a subject with two or more nouns or pronouns.

The predicate is the verb that does the work of the “do-er” of the sentence. The predicate shows a physical or mental action or it describes a state of being. The simple predicate is the verb that acts upon the subject of the sentence. The complete predicate includes additional words that modify the predicate. The compound predicate describes a predicate with two or more verbs.

To identify the subject and predicate in a sentence, first look for the main verb and then ask “Who?” or “What?” The answer is the subject and the main verb is the predicate. Check to make sure that the subject is not part of a prepositional phrase or dependent clause. The subject and predicate must be part of an independent clause.

Definitions and Examples: When we say that the subject and verb must agree, we mean that they must match in number. A singular subject must match a singular verb. A plural subject must match a plural verb.

Singular Agreement

1. A singular subject agrees with (matches) a singular verb and involves a single person, place, or thing. In the present tense nouns add an s to the singular form. For example, A songbird sings.
2. Collective nouns are words that suggest more than one, but that are considered singular if they act as one unit and not as individuals. Collective nouns take a singular verb. For example, The herd is large.
3. Be careful to match subject (nominative) case pronouns to their proper helping verbs: Singular I matches am, was, have, and had. Singular he, she, it, and you match is, was, has, and had. For example, He was my friend.
4. These indefinite pronouns take singular verbs: anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, everybody, everyone, neither, nobody, no one, nothing, one, someone, somebody, and something. For example, Each tries hard.
5. These words or phrases do not form compound subjects and so the two nouns that they connect take singular verbs: or, nor, together with, as well as, and along with, as with, including, in addition to. For example, Blue or green is my favorite color.
6. Some words end in s, but are still singular. For example, Mathematics seems bad, but measles are definitely worse.

Plural Agreement

1. A plural subject agrees with (matches) a plural verb and involves more than one person, place, or thing. In present tense the plural nouns do not end in s. For example, Birds chirp.
2. Be careful to match subject (nominative) case pronouns to their proper helping verbs: Plural we and they match are, were, and had. Plural you matches are, were, have, and had. For example, We were watching the game.
3. Some words seem to be singular, but are actually plural because they each have two parts: scissors, tweezers, pants, and shears. For example, The tweezers are in the top drawer.
4. Sports teams not ending in s are plural and require plural verbs. For example, The Orlando Magic have been looking for a point guard.
5. A compound subject joined by and is plural and takes a plural verb. For example, Bob and Pam are friends.
6. These indefinite pronouns take plural verbs: both, few, many, others, and several. For example, Others ask to attend.

Special Cases

1. When a compound subject contains both a singular and a plural noun or pronoun joined by or or nor, the verb should agree with the part of the subject that is nearer the verb. For example, Neither the boy nor the girls like the teacher.
2. In sentences beginning with there is or there are, the subject follows the verb. Since there is not the subject, the verb agrees with what follows. For example, There is a spider.
3. These amount or measurement pronouns take singular or plural verbs depending upon surrounding word clues: half of, a part of, a percentage of, a majority of, all, any, more, most, some, any, and none. For example, A percentage of time is devoted to study.

Writing Style Hints: Avoid using verbs that act upon the subject as this creates the passive voice. Instead, use verbs which perform the action of the subject to use the active voice.

Practice: Correct the following errors in subject-verb agreement by changing either the subject of the verb and explain in your own words how the singular, plural, or special case subject-verb agreement rule applies.

1. He like me.
2. The group are friendly.
3. He have a lot of problems.
4. Everyone know the answer.
5. John or Pablo want the pie.
6. Mumps were a childhood disease.
7. The dogs barks all the time.
8. They has much to learn.
9. The pliers is in the toolbox.
10. The Oklahoma Thunder remains in first place.
11. Pete and Bobby walks to town.
12. Several choices attracts the buyers.
13. Potato chips or a cookie are included in the meal.
14. There are a real problem here.
15. A majority of players has wives who travel with the team.

Formative Assessment Dictations: Write the following dictations, correcting or leaving “as is” the verbs in each sentence.

1. She loves him.
2. The flock fly in a v-formation.
3. They just seems to have the answers.
4. Nothing helps the situation.
5. Frank, Rosa, or William needs to bring dinner.
6. Measles is a bad disease.
7. Her pants was two sizes too big.
8. You all have done your best.
9. The scissors need to be sharpened.
10. The Orlando Magic have to win this game.
11. Sue and Mark love their new home.
12. Few does as much as that man.
13. Baseballs or a football are in the basket.
14. There is an ending to this nightmare.
15. Any of the five solutions works just fine.

Answers:

1. She loves him.
2. The flock flies in a v-formation.
3. They just seem to have the answers.
4. Nothing helps the situation.
5. Frank, Rosa, or William needs to bring dinner.
6. Measles is a bad disease.
7. Her pants were two sizes too big.
8. You all have done your best.
9. The scissors need to be sharpened.
10. The Orlando Magic has to win this game.
11. Sue and Mark love their new home.
12. Few do as much as that man.
13. Baseballs or a football is in the basket.
14. There is an ending to this nightmare.
15. Any of the five solutions works just fine.

Writing Application: Compose a paragraph using any of singular, plural, or special case subject-verb agreement rules that you missed on the formative assessment.

Related Language Standards: Verbs

The author of the Pennington Publishing Blog, Mark Pennington, has written a comprehensive Grades 4-12 language series to teach each of the grade-level Common Core Language Standards in 60—90 instructional minutes per week. Teaching the Language Strand (of the Common Core State Standards) provides interactive grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling lessons, a complete spelling patterns program, language application openers, and vocabulary instruction. Simple sentence diagrams, error analysis, mentor texts, writing applications with sentence combining and sentence manipulation, and formative assessments are woven into each lesson. Students learn to apply these language standards in both the writing and reading contexts. Each instructional component includes diagnostic assessments and remedial worksheets to help the teacher easily differentiate instruction. Previews of the grade-level teacher guides and student workbooks are available on the author’s website.

Grammar/Mechanics, Writing and apply the rules of subject and verb agreement., identify, This brief lesson helps students understand

Abbreviations and Acronyms

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Common Core Language Standard: L.5.2*

Pre-teaching: Abbreviations are shortened words or groups of words. Acronyms are groups of words that are abbreviated to form a word.

Definitions and Examples: Use periods following the first letter of each key word in an abbreviated title or expression, and pronounce each of these letters when saying the abbreviation. For example, U.S.A. for the United States of America.

But, don’t use periods or pronounce the letters in an acronym. Acronyms are special abbreviated titles or expressions that are pronounced as words. Most all acronyms are capitalized. For example, NASA for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Writing Style Hints: Avoid using abbreviations and acronyms in formal essays. Instead, write out each of the words.

Practice: Mr. James Kopp Jr. has worked outside of the U.S. for many businesses, but he now works in his home state for MADD. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)

Formative Assessment Dictation: Mrs. Johnson and her husband, Jim Johnson Sr., wrote a letter to all members of the NAACP who live in their ZIP Code.

Writing Application: Compose a short business letter, using one abbreviation and one acronym.

Related Language Standards: Common Latin Abbreviations

*Suggested Grade Level

The author of the Pennington Publishing Blog, Mark Pennington, has written a comprehensive Grades 4-12 language series to teach each of the grade-level Common Core Language Standards in 60—90 instructional minutes per week. Teaching the Language Strand (of the Common Core State Standards) provides interactive grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling lessons, a complete spelling patterns program, language application openers, and vocabulary instruction. Simple sentence diagrams, error analysis, mentor texts, writing applications with sentence combining and sentence manipulation, and formative assessments are woven into each lesson. Students learn to apply these language standards in both the writing and reading contexts. Each instructional component includes diagnostic assessments and remedial worksheets to help the teacher easily differentiate instruction. Previews of the grade-level teacher guides and student workbooks are available on the author’s website.

Grammar/Mechanics, Writing abbreviations, acronyms, Common Core, conventions, ELA, English, grammar, Language Arts, Language Standard, Language Strand, mechanics

Common Latin Abbreviations

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Common Core Language Standard: L.8.2*

Pre-teaching: Periods are used to abbreviate words and phrases.

Definitions and Examples: Use periods for these common Latin expressions: etc. (et cetera), which means and so on and et al. (et alii), which means and others. Use periods for these common Latin expressions: e.g. (exempli gratia), which means for example and i.e. (id est), which means that is. Use the i.e. to explain, not to signal examples.

Writing Style: Latin abbreviations are fine to use for reports and letters. However, it is considered better style to write out the English meanings of the Latin expressions in prose.

Practice: I eat lots of green vegetables, i.e. kale, beans, and peas. I also exercise, drink plenty of water, etc.

Formative Assessment Dictation: Our Congress, i.e. the Senate and the House of Representatives, meets in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

Writing Application: Compose a short memorandum, using two of the Latin abbreviations.

Related Language Standards: Abbreviations

*Suggested Grade Level

The author of the Pennington Publishing Blog, Mark Pennington, has written a comprehensive Grades 4-12 language series to teach each of the grade-level Common Core Language Standards in 60—90 instructional minutes per week. Teaching the Language Strand (of the Common Core State Standards) provides interactive grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling lessons, a complete spelling patterns program, language application openers, and vocabulary instruction. Simple sentence diagrams, error analysis, mentor texts, writing applications with sentence combining and sentence manipulation, and formative assessments are woven into each lesson. Students learn to apply these language standards in both the writing and reading contexts. Each instructional component includes diagnostic assessments and remedial worksheets to help the teacher easily differentiate instruction. Previews of the grade-level teacher guides and student workbooks are available on the author’s website.

Grammar/Mechanics, Writing abbreviations, Common Core, conventions, ELA, English, grammar, Language Arts, Language Standard, Language Strand, Latin abbreviations, mechanics