LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Word closet

Word Closets give students an additional classroom resource for “researching” the correct spelling of words to use in their daily writing. Word Closets are particularly focused toward concept words, season words, and favorite words that students like to use in their writing but may need help with spelling.

A lesson plan for grades 2–4 English Language Arts

By DPI Writing Strategies

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Learning outcomes

Students will learn valuable tools to “research” the spelling of words.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

30 minutes

Materials/resources

  • posterboards
  • markers
  • clothes hangers
  • masking tape
  • chart stand

Activities

  1. Each chart will be made as the need arises or when the time is appropriate, such as, when writing needs to be focused and students help brainstorm words.
  2. For example, when students are writing stories about their family or friends it would be wise to first brainstorm a “Family and Friends Word List” and place those words on a chart (mother, father, grandpa, cousin, aunt, best friend, etc.) or when writing stories about “Fun Places to Go” have a chart listing such places as Carowinds, Disneyworld, McDonald’s Playland, Myrtle Beach, etc.
  3. Other charts could be: Weather Words, Christmas Words, Action Words, Cooking Words, Vacation Words, School Words, Math Words, Game Words, etc.
  4. Tape each chart to a separate clothes hanger.
  5. Each chart will hang in the “Word Closet” until students need to find a particular word. Then the chart becomes a useful class resource.
  6. Perhaps a student is writing a story about a fun time he had with a friend in Myrtle Beach. He could go to the Word Closet to find the chart that has the necessary word spelled on it.
  7. The Word Closet can then make a valuable learning center for students to use as necessary when writing.

Assessment

Students:

  • contribute to the word closet
  • refer to the word closet throughout the year

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 2

  • Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
    • Objective 5.02: Attend to spelling, mechanics, and format for final products in one's own writing.

Grade 3

  • Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
    • Objective 5.06: Proofread own writing for spelling and correct most misspellings independently with reference to resources (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, word walls).

Grade 4

  • Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
    • Objective 5.06: Proofread and correct most misspellings independently with reference to resources (e.g., dictionaries, thesauri, glossaries, computer spell-checks, and other classroom sources).