©2012 Scope and Sequence
The following chart shows the skills presented at each stage in Words Their Way: Word Study in Action
Developmental Model ©2012. This scope and sequence reflects input from the Words Their Way authors
as well as classroom teachers and is aligned with accepted best practices including the Common Core
State Standards.
Early-Emergent Letter Name
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Concept Sort Fruit/Not a Fruit
Concept Sort Animal/Not an Animal
Concept Sort Shapes
Concept Sort Food, Clothes, Toys
Concept Sort Clothes
Concept Sort Food
Rhyming Sort Nose, Knees, Hair, Head
Rhyming Sort Clock, Fly, Pan
Rhyming Sort Bug, Mop, Beet
Rhyming Sort Jar, Crate, Bell, Grape
Rhyming Sort Pairs 1
Rhyming Sort Pairs 2
Rhyming Sort Colors
Beginning Sounds b, m
Beginning Sounds r, s
Beginning Sounds b, m, r, s
Letter Recognition Bb, Mm, Aa
Letter Recognition Rr, Ss, Ee
Beginning Sounds t, g
Beginning Sounds n, p
Beginning Sounds t, g, n, p
Letter Recognition Tt, Gg, Ee
Letter Recognition Nn, Pp, Ii
Beginning Sounds c, h
Beginning Sounds f, d
Beginning Sounds c, h, f, d
Letter Recognition Cc, Hh, Ii
Letter Recognition Ff, Dd, Aa
Beginning Sounds l, k
Early-Emergent Letter Name (continued)
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Beginning Sounds j, w, q
Beginning Sounds l, k, j, w
Letter Recognition Ll, Kk, Oo
Letter Recognition Jj, Ww, Qq
Beginning Sounds y, z, v
Ending Sounds t, x
Letter Recognition Yy, Zz, Vv
Letter Recognition Tt, Xx, Uu
Digraphs s, h, sh
Digraphs c, h, ch
Digraphs h, sh, ch
Digraphs th, wh
Digraphs sh, ch, wh, th
Early-Emergent Letter Name Spell Checks
Spell Check 1
Spell Check 2
Spell Check 3
Spell Check 4
Rhyming Words
Beginning Consonants
Letter Recognition
Digraphs
Letter Name
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Beginning Consonants b, m, r, s
Beginning Consonants t, g, n, p
Beginning Consonants c, h, f, d
Beginning Consonants l, k, j, w
Beginning Consonants y, z, v
Word Families -at, -an
Word Families -ad, -an
WORDS THEIR WAY™ ©2012 Scope and Sequence
Letter Name (continued)
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Word Families -ap, -ag
Word Families -ad, -ap, -ag
Word Families -op, -ot, -og
Word Families -ip, -ig, -ill
Word Families -ug, -ut, -un
Word Families -et, -eg, -en
Word Families -ed, -et, -eg, -ell
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh
Consonant Digraphs th, wh
Consonant Digraphs sh, ch, wh, th
Beginning Consonants and Blends s, t, st
Consonant Blends sp, sk, sm
Consonant Blends sc, sn, sw
Consonant Blends pl, sl, bl, fl
Consonant Blends cr, cl, fr, gl, gr
Consonant Blends pr, tr, dr, br
Beginning Sounds k, wh, qu, tw
Mixed Vowel Word Families -at, -ot, -it
Mixed Vowel Word Families -an, -in, -en, -un
Mixed Vowel Word Families -ad, -ed, -ab, -ob
Mixed Vowel Word Families -ap, -ip, -op, -up
Mixed Vowel Word Families -ag, -eg, -ig, -og,
-ug
Mixed Vowel Word Families -ill, -ell, -all
Mixed Vowel Word Families -ack, -ick, -ock,
-uck
Mixed Vowel Word Families -ash, -ish, -ush
Mixed Vowel Word Families -ang, -ing, -ong,
-ung
Mixed Vowel Word Families -ank, -ink, -unk
Short Vowels a, o
Short Vowels i, u
Short Vowels e, i, o, u
Short a, i Words With Beginning Blends
Short e, o, u Words With Beginning Blends
Short a, e, i Words With Beginning Digraphs
Short Vowel Words With Beginning Blends
Short Vowel Words With Final Blends
Short Vowel Words With Final Digraphs
Short Vowels a, e, i, o, u
Preconsonantal Nasals -ng, -mp
Preconsonantal Nasals -nt, -nd, -nk
Short o and or
Short a and ar
Contractions
Letter Name Spell Checks
Spell Check 1
Spell Check 2
Spell Check 3
Spell Check 4
Spell Check 5
Spell Check 6
Spell Check 7
Beginning Consonants
Same Vowel Word Families
Consonant Blends and Digraphs
Mixed Vowel Word Families
Short Vowel Words
Preconsonantal Nasals
r-Influenced Vowels
Within Word Pattern
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Short and Long a (Pictures)
Short a (CVC) and Long a (CVCe)
Short and Long i (Pictures)
Short i (CVC) and Long i (CVCe)
Short and Long o (Pictures)
Short o (CVC) and Long o (CVCe)
Short and Long u (Pictures)
Short u (CVC) and Long u (CVCe)
Short and Long e (Pictures)
Review Short Vowel (CVC) and Long Vowel
(CVCe) Patterns
Short a (CVC) and Long a (CVCe and CVVCai)
Short a (CVC) and Long a (CVCe, CVVC-ai,
and Open Syllable-ay)
Short o (CVC) and Long o (CVCe and CVVCoa)
Short o (CVC) and Long o (CVCe, CVVC-oa,
and CVV-ow)
Long o (CVCe, CVVC-oa, CVV-ow, VCC)
Short u (CVC) and Long u (CVCe and CVVC)
Short u (CVC) and Long u (Open Syllable -ew
and -ue)
Short e (CVC) and Long e (CVVC)
More Short e (CVC and CVVC) and Long e
(CVVC)
Review CVVC Patterns ai, oa, ee, ea
Short i (CVC) and Long i (CVCe, VCC-igh,
and CV Open Syllable-y)
Long i (CVCe, VCC -igh, CV Open Syllable-y,
iCC)
r-Influenced Vowel Patterns ar, ir, or, ur
r-Influenced Vowel Patterns ar, are, air
r-Influenced Vowel Patterns er, ear, eer
r-Influenced Vowel Patterns ir, ire, ier
r-Influenced Vowel Patterns or, ore, oar
r-Influenced Vowel Patterns ur, ure, ur-e
WORDS THEIR WAY™ ©2012 Scope and Sequence
Within Word Pattern (continued)
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Review of ar, Schwa Plus r, and or
Diphthongs oi, oy
Vowel Digraph oo
Diphthongs ou, ow
Ambiguous Vowels aw, au
Ambiguous Vowels wa, al, ou
Final /k/ Sound Spelled ck, ke, k
Silent Beginning Consonants kn-, wr-, gnConsonant Digraphs Plus r-Blends and squTriple r-blends scr-, str-, sprHard and Soft c and g
Word Endings -dge, -ge
Word Endings -ce, -ve, -se
Word Endings -tch, -ch
Long a Homophones #1
Long a Homophones #2
Short and Long i Homophones
Within Word Pattern Spell Check
Spell Check 1 Short (CVC) and Long (CVCe) Vowels
Spell Check 2 Other Common Long Vowel Patterns
Spell Check 3 r-Influenced Vowels
Spell Check 4 Ambiguous Vowels
Spell Check 5 Complex Consonant Clusters
Syllables and Affixes
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Compound Words
More Compound Words
Plural Endings -es, -s
Unusual Plurals
Adding -ing to Words With VC and VCC
Patterns
Adding -ing to Words With VCe and VVC
Patterns
Review of Inflected Ending -ing
Adding -ed (Double/No Change)
Adding -ed (Double/e-Drop/No Change)
Adding -ed to Words With VC, VCe, VVC,
and VCC Patterns
Unusual Past-Tense Words
Syllable Juncture in VCV and VCCV Patterns
More Syllable Junctures in VCV and VCCV
Patterns
Open and Closed Syllables in VCV Patterns
Syllable Juncture in VCV and VVCV Patterns
Syllables and Affixes (continued)
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Syllable Juncture in VCCCV and VV Patterns
Open and Closed Syllables and Inflected
Endings
Plural Endings: Final -y
Adding Inflected Endings -s, -ed, and -ing to
Words With Final -y
Long a Patterns in Accented Syllables
Long i Patterns in Accented Syllables
Long o Patterns in Accented Syllables
Long u Patterns in Accented Syllables
Long and Short e Patterns in Accented
Syllables
Review Long Vowel Patterns in Accented
Syllables
Ambiguous Vowels oy/oi and ou/ow in
Accented Syllables
Ambiguous Vowels au/aw/al in Accented
Syllables
r-Influenced a in Accented Syllables
r-Influenced o in Accented Syllables
Words With w or /w/ before the Vowel
/ r/ Spelled er, ir, ur in First Syllables
/ r/ and r-Influenced e Spelled er, ear, ere, eer
in Accented Syllables
Unaccented Final Syllable -le
Unaccented Final Syllable / l/ Spelled -le, -el,
-il, -al
Unaccented Final Syllable / r/ Spelled -er, -ar,
-or
Agents and Comparatives
Final Syllables / r/ Spelled -cher, -ture, -sure,
-ure
Unaccented Final Syllable / n/ Spelled -en,
-on, -an, -ain
Unaccented Initial Syllables a-, de-, beInitial Hard and Soft c and g
Final -s and Soft c and g
More Words With g
/k/ Spelled -ck, -ic, -x
/qw/ and /k/ Spelled qu
Words With Silent Consonants
Words With gh and ph
Prefixes re-, unPrefixes dis-, mis-, prePrefixes ex-, non-, in-, forePrefixes uni-, bi-, tri-, and Other Numbers
Suffixes -y, -ly, -ily
WORDS THEIR WAY™ ©2012 Scope and Sequence
Syllables and Affixes (continued)
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Comparatives -er, -est
Suffixes -ness, -ful, -less
Homophones
Homographs
Syllables and Affixes Spell Check
Spell Check 1 Compound Words
Spell Check 2 Inflected Endings
Spell Check 3 Open and Closed Syllables
Spell Check 4 Accented Syllables
Spell Check 5 Unaccented Syllables
Spell Check 6 Consonants
Spell Check 7 Prefixes and Suffixes
Derivational Relations
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Prefixes: pre-, fore-, post-, afterReview Suffixes -ness, -ful, -less
Adding -ion (With No Spelling Change)
Adding -ion and -ian (With No Spelling
Change)
Adding -ion (With e-Drop and Spelling
Change)
Adding -ion (With Predictable Changes in
Consonants)
Consonant Alternation: Silent and Sounded
Vowel Alternation: Long to Short
Vowel Alternation: Long to Short or / /
Adding Suffixes: Vowel Alternation (Accented
to Unaccented)
Adding the Suffix -ity: Vowel Alternation (/ /
to Short)
Adding Suffixes: Vowel Alternation (With
Spelling Change)
Adding the Suffix -ation: Vowel Alternation
(With Spelling Change)
Examining Multiple Alternations
Derivational Relations (continued)
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Greek and Latin Number Prefixes mono-, bi-,
triGreek and Latin Prefixes inter-, sub-, overNumber Prefixes quadr-, tetra-, quint-, pent-,
decLatin Word Roots spect, port
Latin Word Roots dic, aud
Latin Word Roots rupt, tract, mot
Latin Word Roots ject, man, cred
Latin Word Roots vid/vis, scrib/script
Latin Word Roots jud, leg, flu
Greek and Latin Elements -crat/-cracy, -arch/archy
Latin Word Roots -spire, -sist, -sign
Greek and Latin Elements cap, ped, corp
Greek and Latin Word Roots sect, vert/vers,
form
Greek and Latin Word Roots onym, gen
Greek and Latin Word Roots voc, ling, mem,
psych
Prefixes intra-, inter-, introPredictable Spelling Changes ceiv/cep, tain/ten,
nounce/nunc
Adding Suffixes -ent/-ence, -ant/-ance #1
Adding Suffixes -ent/-ence, -ant/-ance #2
Adding Suffixes -able, -ible
Adding the Suffix -able (With e-Drop and No
Spelling Change)
Prefix Assimilation: Prefixes in-, im-, il-, irPrefix Assimilation: Prefixes com-, col-, conPrefix Assimilation: Prefixes ob-, ex-, ad-, sub-
Derivational Relations Spell Checks
Spell Check 1 Prefixes and Suffixes
Spell Check 2 Additional Prefixes and Suffixes
Spell Check 3 Greek and Latin Roots
Spell Check 4 Assimilated Prefixes
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