We hope these photos will help you understand the many levels of spellers in first grade and how the sorts should look. We know it can be confusing! We promise everyone will get the hang of it! Thanks for your patience!
Short vowel sort——sorted by word families—op, og, and ot. Feel free to think of other words that also belong in these families!
Digraphs—–Digraphs are 2 letters that go together to make a totally new sound (th, sh, ch, ph). This sort is comparing the c, h, and -ch sound. Your child should know how to spell the words that are written on some some of the pictures. However, the ones that do not have words on them, your child should only know what group they go in. These words have some spelling features in them that your child is not ready for (such as ie in chief, the silent b in comb).
This sort focuses on beginning blends. Your child should know what category each word should go in, but only focus on the actual spelling of the words written on the pictures. The other words have features in them that your child is not ready for (skeleton, -ir in skirt).
This sort focuses on comparing long vowels that have a quiet e at the end (CVCe words). Children should know how to spell these words. Feel free to think of others that follow the same pattern. (Note that in the long e area, the two words shown follow the double e rule. This pattern is a more common way to make long e. Not many words with a long e follow the CVCe pattern. )
This sort focuses on comparing short and long a. Children should be able to spell all these words. Feel free to think of others in these categories as well! Note there is an oddball category in this sort. The word is ‘what’. Looking at it, you would think it would go in the short a category, but the a does not make the sound as in ‘cat’. That is why it is in the ‘oddball’ category. 