Word Study That Sticks
Best Practices, K-6
Corwin Literacy
“Pamela Koutrakos breaks it down for the novice and streamlines word study for the old pro.” – Jeff Anderson, author of Patterns of Power
Take word learning to the next level in your classroom
Hungry for lively and engaging ways to augment word study? Looking for ways to empower your students and give voice to their ideas? In Word Study That Sticks, teacher and literacy consultant Pamela Koutrakos provides a step-by-step approach that makes word learning jubilant and fun – and encourages students to take ownership of word learning.
This hands-on guide connects research with experience to deliver challenging, discovery-based instructional practices that can support all learners in any subject area. You’ll learn how to
- Set up the physical classroom, prioritize materials, and launch activities
- Instill curiosity and a self-starting attitude toward vocabulary development
- Devise routines that highlight phonemic awareness, phonics, meaning, and spelling
- Differentiate and personalize word study activities
- Embed word study into all content areas for transfer of learning
Word Study That Sticks can be used alone or in conjunction with another program to help you take word learning to the next level. Lesson ideas, word study routines, charts, photos, key practices, and special advice for beginning teachers make word study instruction accessible for educators working at every experience level.
Pam's passion for engaging children in purposeful, thoughtful, and joyful word study exudes in Word Study That Sticks. The framework she posits is elegant yet practical in daily teaching within a workshop structure. The lessons, grounded in research that supports the urgency of word study for our learners, convey a clear vision for developing a culture of word learning, exploration for words, active engagement, and positive, student-centered word study. These lessons will lead learners to powerful, joyful, and exciting word etymology that fosters student choice and celebration of words, covering phonemic awareness, phonics, meaning, spelling, and high-frequency work -- all facets of word study. A thoughtful and visual format provides educators with lessons and clear examples to develop thoughtful word study in the classroom now. The framework presents real time challenges faced by schools and districts with honest and considerate 'workarounds.' This is the exact approach to word study that our children need and deserve!
When reading Word Study That Sticks, you feel as though Pam has stepped inside your classroom and is with you each step of the way, cheering you on. She understands your word study concerns and provides you with an abundance of options that are responsive to your students' right-now needs which you can immediately use. As I was reading, I could envision my teachers flipping over the ready-made word study charts and lessons that Pam Makes available. These charts are teacher friendly, but more importantly, they also help your students to become independent word experts in a flash! Creating students who lift the level of their vocabularies, reading, and writing.