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. 

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.

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. 

The Word Origins manual includes complete lesson plans, student resources, and assessment materials. Each level of the Word Origins program follows an engaging 30-minute, 9-step lesson routine which includes the following: 

• Explicit morphology instruction
• Spelling activities
• Word building activities 
• Vocabulary support
• Connected text 
• Interleaved practice 

Companion materials include:

• Lesson slide decks
• Printable morpheme tiles
• Printable student materials

Word Origins is a Tier 1 program designed for learners in upper elementary and beyond. Originally designed for whole group instruction, it is also being used for intervention purposes.