Words Their Way checklist

Words Their Way: Developmental Stages and Characteristics

1. Emergent Stage

a. Scribbles letters and numbers……..........................……... yes____ no____

b. Lacks concept of word………...……………. .........................yes____ no____

c. Lacks letter/sound correspondence…… ......................... yes____ no____

d. Pretends to read and write………………… .........................yes____ no____

2. Early Letter Name/Alphabetic Stage

a. Represents beginning/ending sounds… .........................yes____ no____

b. Uses letter names to invent spellings…...........................yes____ no____

c. Has rudimentary/functional concept of word………........yes____ no____

d. Reads word by word in beginning reading materials……yes____ no____

3. Middle/Late Letter Name-Alphabetic Stage

a. Correctly spells initial/final consonants, some blends/digraphs

yes____
no____

b. Uses letter names to spell vowel sounds………………..... yes____ no____

c. Spells phonetically…………………………………............…… yes____ no____

d. Omits most silent letters/preconsonantal nasals……… yes____ no____

e. Fingerpoints accurately/self corrects when off track…... yes____ no____

f. Reads aloud slowly, word-by-word manner…………….. yes____ no____

4. Within Word Pattern Stage

a. Spells most single-syllable, short vowel words…………... yes____ no____

b. Spells most beginning consonant digraphs………....……. yes____ no____

c. Spells most two-letter consonant blends………………...... yes____ no____

d. Attempts to use silent long vowel markers………...…….. yes____ no____

e. Reads silently/with more fluency and expression……… yes____ no____

f. Writes more fluently and in extended fashion…………....yes____ no____

g. Can revise and edit…………………………............…………… yes____ no____

Stages from Words
Their Way by Bear et al., chapter 1, pages 22-23