Word Origins

U.S. Version

Word Origins is a word study program that expands students’ understanding of the morphological underpinnings of the English language. Built on a strong foundation of research, Word Origins provides instruction in reading, writing, spelling, and vocabulary for students in grades 3 and up.

UFLI is excited to announce our partnership with the Dyslexia SPELD Foundation (DSF) to bring you the U.S. version of Word Origins.

Download the Level 1 Unit 1 Scope and Sequence as a PDF

Download a Sample Lesson as a PDF

How to Order

Pre-order at Ventris Learning. Join our Facebook community or sign up for UFLI news for updates.

In the meantime, join us for a Word Origins overview webinar where you will hear from Word Origins creator Mandy Nayton and UFLI director Holly Lane about the collaboration to bring Word Origins to the United States.

Pre-Order Word Origins

About Word Origins

What is Word Origins?

Word Origins is a word study program designed to provide instruction in reading, writing, spelling, and vocabulary. Built on a strong foundation of research, Word Origins expands students’ understanding of how English words are formed to strengthen their spelling, reading, and word knowledge skills.

Where does Word Origins come from?

The Dyslexia SPELD Foundation (DSF) is a nonprofit that supports families and educators in Australia and throughout Asia. DSF developed the Word Origins program in response to the needs of students and their teachers.

Why UFLI and Word Origins?

Shortly after the UFLI Foundations was published, we began working with DSF to bring the program to Australia. DSF helped us to create an Australian version of the manual. At the same time, they were engaged in developing an incredible word study program for grades 3 and up. Over the past year, we have partnered with them to create an American version of the Word Origins program.

UFLI collaborated with DSF to adapt the Word Origins curriculum for the North American educational community. Its explicit and systematic framework and emphasis on orthography, morphology, semantics, and syntax makes it a natural next step for UFLI Foundations learners as they advance to third grade and beyond.

Who was Word Origins designed for?

Word Origins is a Tier 1 program designed for 3rd grade and beyond. While it was designed for whole group instruction, the developers of the program have also had success using Word Origins in intervention settings.

What do I need to implement Word Origins in my classroom?

Just like UFLI Foundations, DSF aims to make Word Origins as accessible as possible. When you purchase Word Origins manuals everything necessary for implementation is included in that unit’s purchase. The following items are needed for each classroom and are included in the purchase:

Level One teacher manuals (Units 1-4)
Implementation Guide – provides background knowledge and implementation guidance
Lesson slide decks to accompany each daily lesson
Morpheme tiles
One pre-made tile set is included with every teacher manual purchase
A PDF for printing student copies of the morpheme tiles
Printable template to provide differentiated support to students
Pre and post assessments which are designed to monitor student progress within the program and are included for each unit

Additional Word Origins Level 1: Printed Morpheme Tiles can be purchased (one set to be shared between two students)

How was the scope and sequence developed?

DSF wrote the scope and sequence to address the most commonly used morphemes before moving to more complex morphemes. The scope and sequence from Level 1, Unit 1, along with 2 sample lessons are available on the UFLI website.

Is there different content for different grades?

During the first year of implementation, everyone will start with Level 1 regardless of grade. Subsequent levels (2-3) will be available for purchase starting in the 2027-2028 school year.

For a school starting Word Origins in 3rd grade, the roll-out would follow this schedule:

Table that shows how a rollout of the 4 levels would be applied to grades 3-6.

Will there be printed morpheme tiles available for Levels 2-4 also?

Yes, when these levels become available in the U.S. Version, the corresponding morpheme tiles and slide decks necessary for implementation will also be available.