would post them in case you may have similar questions in mind:Question #1. Should my child be studying the spelling of “spelling words” AND studying the spelling of “word sort words?”
Answer: Students do not need to study the spelling of individual Sort Words. They need only be familiar with the “rule” for each of the guide words so that they can phonetically figure out the spelling for related words.
For instance, if the student knows the sound that the “ch” phonogram makes, and practices sorting words with a “ch” spelling, then he/she should be able to spell a newly introduced word that uses the same sound (i.e. after sorting the word chop, a student should be able to spell the word chat).
The weekly phonics test will sometimes include words that are not found in the sort, but that have the same “rule” as the sort words. Please don’t drill your students on spelling individual Sort Words; simply ensure that they are familiar with the related “phonics rules” so that they know how to spell the sounds.
Question #2: Should my child be studying the spelling of “challenge words,” too?
Answer: Students do NOT need to know how to spell Challenge Words, and I apologize for including them under the Spelling Words heading, which probably added to the confusion. Students only need to practice reading them as they sort them under the “Challenge” guide word. Thanks!
Question #3: How often will the “math timing” sheet be changed or updated?
Answer: That depends entirely on the progress of the class, or on the progress of individual students. Sometimes we will switch the math fluency timing sheets every week, sometimes we will switch them every other week, and sometimes we will switch them for some students, while other students remain on the same fluency sheet.
Question #4: How quickly should my student be able to finish the math timing?
The goal by the end of the year is to finish each fluency sheet in 1 minute and 15 seconds or less. Before the end of the year, any progress toward that goal is great!