Monday starts a new spelling unit. We have selected words that we can build on. This week we are building on the word it.  I write the words out and copy the paper so they can rewrite them for homework.  We have learned the word it so it should be fairly simple to teach them sit and pit. (The other two words are play and are…our sight words.)

So I start lessons out like this: if you can spell it then you can spell sit. If you can spell sit you can spell pit. I usually give them a bonus on their test on Friday. I decided to step it up a bit and do a blend. I told them if you can spell sit and pit then you can also spell spit. They loved it. They were all making that noise that men make when they cough up a loogie. I told the class about one of my sister’s getting hit in the face when we were out for a drive with my dad and she had her back window open. A collective “EWWWWWW” was earned for that story.

One of the girls – normally a quiet one – came up to my desk later wanting to show how smart she was and said, (all in one long breath)“Teacher, if you can spell it then you can spell sit and then you can spell pit and then you can spell spit and THEN you can spell shit!”

She’ll probably get 100 on the test Friday. 

So the week begins!