Word Crafting - Cindy Marten

This past year,

our school looked at our language arts program.

We were discussing

spelling curriculums

when one of my colleagues mentioned this book.

She loved the ideas behind it,

none of them really new.

She's a teacher I totally admire,

and thought I should read this book too.

Word Crafting looks at the need for

developmental, differentiated and appropriate word study

in the classrooms. 

Marten discusses a spelling inventory 

to learn more about our students. 

The book discusses

teaching spelling

and not assigning spelling works.

In an era of the spell check,

do we really need to learn how to spell?

Marten shares a poem I loved:

An Ode to the Spelling Chequer

Prays the Lord for the spelling chequer

That came with our pea sea!

Mecca mistake and it puts you rite

Its so easy to ewes, you sea.

I never used to no, was it e before eye?

(Four sometimes its eye before e.)

But now I've discovered the quay to success

It's as simple as won, too, free!

Sew watt if you lose a letter or two,

The whirled won't come two an end!

Can't you sea? It's as plane as the knows on yore face

S. Chequer's my very best friend.

I've always had trubble with letters that double

"Is it one or to S's" I'd wine

But now, as I've tolled you this chequer is grate

And its hi thyme you got won, like mine.

         - Anonymous

While I'm at it,

Marten talks about a book

All Sorts of Sorts 

by Sheron Brown 

in her book. 

I picked that one up

and am giddy with excitement.