This week's challenge came just as I was finishing up my latest product...perfect timing! Like most things I create, I don't usually have them planned ahead, and make my products as I need them for my classroom. When I began my Journeys Challenge Word products (from the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt reading series), I began them last fall, and started with Unit 2. Their creation began because I had some students who were amazing spellers and had already grasped the phonics pattern we were working on for that week. I needed a way to differentiate the lists for my students, challenging those that need it, while still practicing and pushing the phonics pattern at a different level. For example, while they may breeze through CVC words, they needed practice with blends in short vowel words. Once I started the challenge words, my kiddos immediately pushed themselves harder. Every pre-test we took, they strived to earn the challenge words. Seeing that Unit 2 had been such a success, I continued making them for units 3-6 as the rest of the school year progressed. Since I had not started with Unit 1, I went back and created it a few weeks ago, and realized that I needed to bundle all of my units together! (Who doesn't love when all pages are in one spot?!) So I am not happy to say that all 6 Journeys Challenge Spelling Word units are now bundled! Woohoo!!

The bundle has challenge words and practice pages for all Journeys lessons (1-30). Below is an example of what you will find in this product. These are all of the pages for Lesson 5, which focuses on short U words. Every lesson has the same type of pages, with different words to fit the lesson focus. I found that the similar structure worked out well when students practiced spelling words during center time, because after learning it once, they knew what they were expected to do. 

My favorite part about giving my kiddos challenge words is that the students vary from week to week. I do not designate students to get challenge words all year long, instead it is based off of the pre-test. Students have to get all of the words correct on the pre-test to earn challenge words. Once the lists become longer, I do give the students challenge words if they only missed one word on the pre-test. I love when one of my students who may struggle more with learning really understands a phonics pattern, rocks the pretest, and is so proud of them-self when they earn their challenge words!

Do you use the Journeys series? These lists would also work well for teachers who don't have the reading series, but do spelling lists based off of phonics patterns. Be sure to check out this product here in our TPT store! It is on sale through Sunday!

Hi everyone, it's Becky! I wanted to share a new product I made over the weekend for some of my advanced kiddos. This year I probably have the widest span of reading levels I have ever had. Out of my 24 students, I have about 6 at a level B, 3 all the way at a level L, and all of the others in between! We do such a great job of focusing on our below basic and basic students in my school, but we need to beef up our support for the advanced students. I need them to move this year as well! So one of the ways I decided to do this was with challenge spelling lists.

My school district uses the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys reading series. In this series, there are 30 lessons which each last 5 days. Each lesson also focuses on one or two phonics patterns, and include spelling words that follow these patterns. The idea is that if the students have learned the phonics patterns, they should be successful on the tests. I begin each lesson with a pre-test to see how much my students already know about the pattern I will be teaching. This year my students who are at a level L, and some of my other students, have been consistently getting 100% on the pre-test. I give challenge words to any student who receives 100% on their pretest. I realized I didn't have any extension/practice pages for them like those I have bought from other TPT sellers for the regular spelling words. So before starting Unit 2, I decided to make a challenge words packet, complete with those very pages! You can get this packet here in my TPT store! 

This product includes a list of challenge words for each lesson, 6-10, from the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys first grade reading series. The first two challenge words for each lesson are the same two listed as "challenge words" from the series. The other six are more challenging words that follow the same phonics pattern the students are learning for that corresponding lesson. Along with the challenge word lists for students to take home, there are also four other activity pages for each lesson which include a trace it and write it page, a word search, a code breaker page, and a color/decorate it page. This is a great way to provide differentiated spelling practice for your above level students!

When I give the spelling test, all students have the same spelling test paper. I have my challenge word kids write "Ch" on their paper. I then go through the test and first announce the regular spelling word, and then the challenge word. The students know which list they have, and have been great at listening and writing the correct word for them on their paper.

Finally, I wanted to leave you with a little freebie for Fire Prevention Week! We have a "Safety Day" at our school, where the firemen, police officers, and other emergency workers bring their vehicles and show us the importance of being safe. (The kids love it!) We then write thank you notes to show our appreciation! Feel free to grab this freebie if your school does something similar and you could use it! (Click on the picture to take you to the link!)

That's all for now! Have a great week!
~Becky