Word Study & Literacy · Grades K–5

Savvas Learning (Words Their Way)

Word study and literacy curriculum — home of Words Their Way — now under firm ownership

Owned by: Savvas Learning / Bow Street LLCFirm

K–5
Grade range at LMSD
Bow Street LLC
Firm owner (Pearson spinoff)
Words Their Way
Research-based word study program
Research basis
Donald Bear et al., 1996–present

Savvas Learning (formerly Pearson K–12 U.S. Learning) publishes Words Their Way, a widely respected research-based word study curriculum used in LMSD elementary grades. Savvas was created when Pearson sold its K–12 curriculum business to Bow Street LLC, a firm, in 2019. Words Their Way is built on the developmental word knowledge research of Donald Bear and colleagues — one of the most evidence-backed approaches to spelling and phonics instruction available. The concern is not the curriculum quality but the firm ownership and the shift to digital delivery of what was previously a physical, teacher-managed program.

The Full Picture

The Good

  • Words Their Way is one of the most research-validated word study approaches in elementary literacy — developmental stages of spelling mirror the research of Edmund Henderson, Donald Bear, and Shane Templeton
  • Diagnostic component correctly identifies where each student is in the developmental spelling sequence — genuine differentiation
  • Physical manipulatives (word sorts) are a core part of the traditional Words Their Way approach — some versions maintain this
  • Teachers trained in WTW report high satisfaction with its systematic, developmental approach to phonics and spelling
  • Curriculum quality from the Pearson/Savvas lineage is generally high — decades of educator review

The Bad

  • Bow Street LLC is a firm — it acquired Savvas to generate financial returns, not to advance literacy education
  • Digital delivery of Words Their Way replaces physical word sorts (cutting up cards, sorting them by hand) with screen-based activities — losing the fine motor and kinesthetic benefits of the physical approach
  • Annual digital licensing has replaced what was previously a physical resource teachers could own and reuse for years
  • Elementary student literacy data (developmental spelling stage, phonics knowledge level) is now stored in a firm-owned platform

The Worse

  • Words Their Way was designed to be a teacher-managed, physically manipulated program — its digitization under firm ownership serves financial interests more than pedagogical ones
  • Developmental spelling assessment data — which reveals a child's exact phonological knowledge — is among the most educationally sensitive data about a young reader
  • Bow Street LLC's investment horizon (typically 5–7 years) means Savvas could be sold again, transferring all student literacy data to a new owner
  • The firm acquisition of Pearson's K–12 division separated curriculum resources (Savvas) from the research infrastructure (Pearson) that supported them — potentially weakening long-term product development

Privacy Deep-Dive

Firm Ownership

Bow Street LLC acquired Savvas Learning from Pearson in 2019 for approximately $250 million

Data Collected

Student spelling assessment results (developmental stage), word study activity completions, literacy progress data

FERPA

Savvas acts as school official; DPA required with district

Physical Option

Traditional Words Their Way is a physical program — ask LMSD whether physical word sorts are still used alongside digital

Data Retention

Student literacy data retained per district contract; deletion available on request

Bow Street LLC

Mid-market firm; Savvas is one of its primary portfolio companies

Research-backed curriculum, firm-backed ownership: Words Their Way has a strong evidence base — but its digitization under firm ownership has changed its pedagogical nature. The physical word sort (cutting, handling, categorizing paper cards) is a key part of its research-validated approach. Ask LMSD whether the digital version has been evaluated against the physical version for learning outcomes.

What It Replaces in the Classroom

Digital word sort on Chromebook
↓ on a screen
Physical word sort with printed/cut card sets — the research-validated, hands-on approach
Digital literacy assessment
↓ on a screen
Teacher-administered Words Their Way spelling inventory — printed, hand-scored
Online spelling activity
↓ on a screen
Pencil-and-paper word study notebook with weekly sort recording
Digital phonics practice
↓ on a screen
Physical reading decodable books and oral word study games

Questions for the District

Does LMSD use Words Their Way in digital-only format, or do students also use physical word sort materials?
What student data does Savvas Learning collect, and does LMSD's DPA address Bow Street LLC's firm ownership?
Has LMSD compared learning outcomes between digital and physical Words Their Way delivery?
What is LMSD's plan if Bow Street LLC sells Savvas to another company?
Can elementary families request that their child use physical word sort materials instead of the digital platform?

Sources

  • Savvas Learning Privacy Policy — savvas.com/privacy
  • Bow Street LLC acquisition of Pearson K–12 (2019) — press coverage.
  • Bear, D.R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnston, F. (2020). Words Their Way (6th ed.). Pearson.
  • Henderson, E.H. (1981). Learning to Read and Spell: The Child's Knowledge of Words. Northern Illinois University Press.
  • LMSD COPPA Vendor List — lmsd.org

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