Spelling assessments are crucial to the instructional adjustments in my classroom; without the proper informal observations and evaluation of the assessments, I do not have the knowledge to see where my students lie in their orthographic knowledge. I have always been fascinated by word study and spelling as the creation and memorization of words was something I excelled in during primary school. During the reading of this chapter, I was able to fully understand and think about assessments and informal observations in a way that I have never thought about before. It is interesting to finally be on the opposite side in the education world. I never realized how much work my teachers did to ensure that my literacy skills were on target, and I never understood the full work load the teachers endure to assess and evaluate my spelling inventories. Little did I know back then, that these “practice worksheets” were just my teacher’s way of assessing my word knowledge so that instruction could be better adjusted to fit my needs and the needs of my fellow peers.
        In this chapter I was able to fully comprehend how to informally observe my students in the classroom, administer a spelling inventory, analyze that inventory, and group students based on their performance. Going through the education program, I feel as though the informal observations and informal assessments have been hashed into my brain through the lesson planning process. I have been taught to make note of any struggling students and this process has become second nature to me. For example, if I am instructing a small group during the reading block, and my students are taking turns reading each paragraph, I can easily see the struggling students at that center. From there, I can make a judgement as to what their spelling inventory will look like as reading, writing, and spelling go hand-in-hand. However, I am apprehensive about learning, creating, and implementing the methods for the quantitative assessments. I am aware that my inventories should correspond with my grade level and the student’s abilities. For example, if I am teaching a fifth grade classroom, I would begin with the “Upper-Level Spelling Inventory.”
        This chapter also explained how teachers should know the before, during, and after administration process. Before the inventory, my students are to not be given the words in advance. My classroom will be a warm environment where students will be encouraged to try their best even when they do not know how to spell a word. With my younger grade-level students, or with frustrated students, I will prepare a small group area where the administration process will take place. I will also seat the students according to stress and behavioral levels. During the inventory, I will read the words naturally, say the word twice, and use it in a sentence. I will also monitor the room and look for students who may be having handwriting difficulty or behavior issues. I will also be aware of all the students in my classroom and their frustrations and misspelled words. If I notice that many students are becoming frustrated and are making many spelling errors in multiple words in close proximity to each other, I need to end the assessment.
        When analyzing the inventories, I should look for and check off features of the words that are correct (i.e. if the student has the final consonant, middle vowel, and end consonant correct). I also need to become aware of common confusions before grading the assessments so that each students score is consistent. For example, many students, especially in the lower grades, have multiple static reversals where common letters, such as p and b, are written backwards. Once the assessments have been graded, I begin to analyze them for instruction and grouping.

            My instruction should begin from the first two or more errors on one feature, and I should identify the student’s developmental stage. By using the developmental stage, I can become more precise with designing my word study curriculum. Grouping for instruction is crucial. I need to meet every diverse need while ensuring a controlled classroom. Students should be placed with students who are ready to learn the same word level feature so that all students are on the same page. Grouping has always been a nerve-racking process for me. In some instances, it is best to group students either based on ability (as with word study) or based on who can benefit from whom. In word study, however, it is best to group by ability. For example, if some students are ready to study long-vowels, it is not a wise decision to put these students with students who are just beginning to study blends.

            Once the inventories have been administered, analyzed, and the students have been placed, continuous monitoring of growth is an important factor to ensuring the best instruction possible. I can give more spelling inventories, weekly spelling tests, or spell checks so that I can better alter future instruction. My goals in the classroom should be able to be reached, yet challenged enough so that all students are pushed outside of their normal “thinking box.” My long-term goals will correspond to my expectations for future learning.

            I really enjoyed reading this chapter because it gave me insight on spelling inventories and what to do with them after. Spelling is a fundamental building block for reading, writing, and comprehension. When students do not have a good core in spelling, they may struggle in other areas of the curriculum. I am curious to get a hands-on, more in-depth look at the administering and analyzing process. Reading about the process is a complete one-eighty turn from actually performing it. It is my hope that my curiosities will be answered this semester.