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Summary: Words Their Way
Review: As a beginning teacher I feel that this book is a must have! I read and used this book in two of my graduate courses and witnessed first hand through a tutoring program the positive impact that the suggested WTW activities can have on beginning to advanced readers. As I now near the end of my graduate program for elementary education, I feel certain that I will use this book in my future classroom because it has so many wonderful and interesting activities. I have read this book several times and with each reading I feel that I gain something new from it. I cannot imagine why any teacher would ever sell this useful resource.
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Summary: A must have for new teachers
Review: As a first year title 1 reading teacher I was feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities and stressed out over where to begin. A coworker let me borrow this book one day and I ordered it that night. Finally I had a sense of where to start and what to do next! This book is full of ideas for teaching reading and writing in fun and creative ways. It is also a wonderful resource for deciphering where your students are in their learning and what they need next.
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Summary: Understanding how to help children read
Review: Dr. Bear and his co-authors describe the stages most children go through as they learn to read, and they provide specific teaching methods that help students move from where they are to the next level of accomplishment.Extensive research has indicated that a child's spelling is a window to his level of learning. This book provides diagnostic tests that only take a few minutes to give, but provide specific and valuable information about the child's level of literacy. I have required my college students in Tests & Measurements to purchase this book and to perform tests on children. Though the introductory chapters seem to be a "heavy read" to some, this book is clear, well-written, and practical. Teachers and curriculum supervisors would be well advised to understand the material set forth in this volume.
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Summary: Reviews from Language Arts & CA Reader:
Review: Here are two recent reviews of Words Their Way: This book is a must read for teachers who are interested in not only improving spelling and vocabulary, but in improving the competency of their students as readers and writers. (Thompson, S. (1998). "Professional Bookshelf," The California Reader, 31 (3), pp. 33-34.) We suggest that Words Their Way be kept on a convenient shelf for daily reference in every teacher's classroom for easy access and use." (Shanahan, S., Macphee, J., McMillen, L., Lynch, M., Hester, J., Brodzik, K., (1997). "Materials that make the mark: Explicit skills instruction." Language Arts, 74, pp. 291-292.)
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Summary: Words Their Way Curriculum Also Effective for Older Students
Review: I acquired this book on the recommendation of one of my professors. I had heard great things about the program's effectiveness with younger readers, but was not convinced I could adapt it to suit the needs of older students with reading difficulties. However, because my students dislike worksheets as much as I do, I am constantly searching for hands-on activities that developed word attack and spelling skills. Donald Bear et al provided me with numerous games and word sorts to use with my reading classes. It has also been possible to extend the curriculum to a higher level by creating additional word sorts that focus on the specific issue of high school readers/spellers. In my opinion, this book is an essential resource for every elementary teacher, language arts teacher, reading specialist, or tutor.
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Summary: Words Thier Way - Not a book for Homeschool
Review: I bought this book as part of my reading course for my credential, and have used ideas from this book every single day in my first grade class. As a new teacher, I have found this book to be essential to my daily plans. This book not only explains theory of different reading levels, but is full of activity ideas for varying levels. Many of these activities are easy to arrange and teach/monitor. This book has made it so easy for me to teach to students of varying reading levels I think that one of the best features of this book are the word lists at the back. These lists are great for designing word sorts and other activities. In the second edition, there are 28 pages of word lists, from basic vowel and word family sorts to homophones and affixes. Truly, this book has something for every reading level. I also appreciate the templates for board games that are in the back of the book. The bottom line: If you teach reading, this book is a must-have. This book isn't going to sit on your shelf and gather dust like so many do, but quickly becomes part of your daily planning.
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Summary: This is an excellent resource!
Review: I bought this book as part of my reading course for my credential, and have used ideas from this book every single day in my first grade class. As a new teacher, I have found this book to be essential to my daily plans. This book not only explains theory of different reading levels, but is full of activity ideas for varying levels. Many of these activities are easy to arrange and teach/monitor. This book has made it so easy for me to teach to students of varying reading levels I think that one of the best features of this book are the word lists at the back. These lists are great for designing word sorts and other activities. In the second edition, there are 28 pages of word lists, from basic vowel and word family sorts to homophones and affixes. Truly, this book has something for every reading level. I also appreciate the templates for board games that are in the back of the book. The bottom line: If you teach reading, this book is a must-have. This book isn't going to sit on your shelf and gather dust like so many do, but quickly becomes part of your daily planning.
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Summary: A must for any teacher
Review: I have used these strategies in my classroom and have seen remarkable results from my students. Bravo Dr. Bear!!!
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Summary: Words Thier Way - Not a book for Homeschool
Review: I purchased this book to help in home schooling my teenager. There are many helpful things in this book, but I feel this book is more for teachers than parents attempting to help their children in the upper grades.
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Summary: Lots of new resources in the new edition
Review: Thanks to all of you who have found the first edition of WTW to be a valuable classroom tool. The new edition of WTW has many new resources such as over 100 prepared word sorts, word lists, and new easy to use assessment tools. Look for vignettes throughout the book that describe how teachers integrate developmental word study into their overall literacy program. In the works are a video, CD Rom, and a website.
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