Week of October 5
at
him
with
up
all
In first grade we will learn to read and spell the Dolch words. The Dolch high frequency list was published by Edward William Dolch, Ph.D. in his book, Problems in Reading, The Garrard Press, 1948. The Dolch list of high frequency words comprises the 220 words, excluding nouns, that were common to the word lists of the International Kindergarten Union, The Gates List and the Wheeler-Howl List --- all lists that were used in beginning reading programs in the 1940's. The Dolch List has held up over time as reliable high frequency word list that is used in beginning reading programs. Some words are out of date. For instance, the word "shall," found on list 11, is not a frequently used word today.
We will start with list 1. First graders will get five new words a week to practice. These words will come home on cardstock flash cards for their spelling ring. Assessments will be taken during journal writing. Spelling is not something that students should learn for a one day assessment, but something that students should exhibit consistently in their daily writing. I will try to remember to update the spelling list weekly.