Word Wizard

Word Wizard

 

Word Wizards is a progression of reading, writing, listening, and speaking the English language. We start with teaching handwriting, where students in K-1 will learn the basics of print. From Grade 2 and onward, students will learn continuous print or cursive. Students are taught exactly how to form each letter and given corrective feedback.
 
The largest part of Word Wizards is our phonics and spelling. In each specific phase, students will be reading, writing, listening, and speaking the sound of the English language. Each phase has multiple groups and are split into K-2nd and 3rd -5th grade. The upper elementary groups will be looking at the same sounds but applying their knowledge to spell and read multi-syllabic words like embankment, obsolete, springtail, and trousers.
 
After they exit the phonics program, students will move into our spelling program. This program is designed to help students gain an understanding of various spelling patterns, why they work and when to use them. Students will study parts of speech and how endings make spelling and pronunciation changes. They will look at root and base words and determine how the meanings change when adding affixes and suffixes. Students will inquire into the history behind words and how they have changed, affecting how they are spelling and pronounced.

Phonics Phases at BIS

Students in the RAINBOW phase have mastered many of the sounds and spellings in the English language. They will continue to read and write sounds and words as well as focus on the comprehension of texts.

Students in the YELLOW phase will learn the remaining 7 letters in addition to looking at consonant diagraphs (2 letters working together to make a single sound-th, ng, ch, sh). Students should be able to start reading and writing words with these sounds in them. Students will also be introduced to the CVCe (magic e) rule.

Students in the ORANGE phase will be using their previous knowledge to look at blends. They will learn to read and spell words like plank, help, test, theft, and frog.

Students in the GREEN phase will be looking at vowel diagraphs and trigraphs (two or three vowel sounds making a single or new sound) in addition to consolidating their previous knowledge. Students will learn to read and write words such as train, book, light, cow, hurt, and fair.

Students in the BLUE phase will learn alternative spellings for the some of the sounds they’ve learned and look at where/when these patterns are used. They will learn to read and write words such as dolphin, whale, break, crayon, and bird.

Students in the PURPLE phase will now focus on alternative pronunciations for spelling patterns they have previously studied. Students will look at words like ginger/gap, cent/clock, owl/snow, and fried/shriek.

Students in the RAINBOW phase have mastered many of the sounds and spellings in the English language. They will continue to read and write sounds and words as well as focus on the comprehension of texts.

Students at this stage have mastered the sounds of the letters and are ready to learn spelling rules. They will use their knowledge to connect and combine sounds, letter patterns, and meaning to spell and read words. For example, students will learn when to double letters and when to use -ch or -tch all the while covering suffixes, prefixes, roots, and Greek combining forms. 

During their time in the IB Diploma Program at BIS, students are encouraged to develop: 

  • time management skills and a strong sense of self-motivation 
  • a keen interest in service and personal engagement
  • increasing academic ability linked to inquiry
  • strong research and study skills
  • critical thinking abilities
  • an international outlook 
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