Introduction
This Open Education Resource is a handbook for educators of Grades 4-8 seeking to incorporate spelling, grammar, and vocabulary in their literacy programs. Teacher candidates, classroom teachers, support personnel, and literacy tutors can all benefit from the linguistic information and classroom applications suggested. The handbook is intended to provide foundational knowledge and teaching strategies in response to the Language Foundations for Reading and Writing component of the Ontario Curriculum: Language (2023).
This resource is not a prescribed, lesson-by-lesson program to use as a classroom text. Educators bring varied background knowledge and experience to word study, and the needs of each classroom differ widely. Therefore, we offer specific information about the underlying structures of spelling, grammar, and vocabulary along with engaging classroom ideas and online resources. It is up to educators to decide what strategies best address the needs of the students in their classes.
The chapters are organized by the umbrella topics of Spelling, Vocabulary, Sentences, and Parts of Speech. These divisions often overlap, since word study concepts are closely intertwined. Building student knowledge in areas such as prefixes, base words, and suffixes, for example, will enhance not just reading but also oral vocabulary and writing.
Suggestions for teaching include addressing word study across curriculum areas, whole class explicit instruction, small group application, and individual student support. A recurring theme is the importance of teachers assessing student needs through ongoing formative assessment in the context of authentic literacy tasks. They are then able to tailor their support to the identified needs of their students.
Chapter Structure:
Each of the 20 chapters identifies specific connections to expectations from the Ontario Curriculum: Language (2023). This is followed by an outline of prior required knowledge, a definition of the concept, and specific examples. The focus is then placed on why the concept matters in literacy development along with several suggestions for applying the learning in the classroom. Finally, additional online resources such as websites, videos, or interactive games are listed. Many of the chapters include interactive elements that educators can copy and implement in their practice.
How to Navigate this Book:
In the top left corner of the screen is a black tab labeled “Contents.” Select this to open the Table of Contents dropdown menu. From there, you can navigate to any of the chapters in the book by clicking on the heading.
At the bottom left or right of this book are the “next” and “previous” buttons. They are labeled with the title of the next section. You can use these buttons to go directly to the previous or next chapter without navigating back to the Table of Contents.
The Appendix contains a table that cross-references the Ontario Language Curriculum (2023) to the chapters.
Open Education Resources:
The authors are committed to Open Education Resources, and we encourage educators to share this web-based handbook with colleagues. In addition, we encourage educators to reuse the integrated H5P interactive elements to support their own practice with their students. For more information about sharing and reusing content, access the Pressbook link and the H5P link.
We are indebted to Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, for financial and technical support throughout the project. Giulia Forsythe – Director, Teaching and Learning of the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation – offered guidance from the early stages. Kosar Dakhilanian, Research Assistant with the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation, provided ongoing technical assistance in Pressbook and the use of H5P tools. We also benefited from funding from the OER Adaptation Grant program at Brock University. Finally, we thank our Dean of Education, Dr. Mary-Louise Vanderlee for supporting this project as a focus for the sabbatical of Dr. Ruth McQuirter, and for her willingness to share this handbook with her colleagues across Canada.
Contact Information for authors:
Ruth McQuirter, Ed.D.
Professor, Teacher Education,
Brock University,
St. Catharines, Ontario.
rmcquirter@brocku.ca
Carolyn Venema, OCT, M.Ed.
Research Assistant,
Instructor, Teacher Education
Brock University,
St. Catharines, Ontario
cvenema@brocku.ca
