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Word study is one of the components to our Responsive Literacy Framework and the Workshop Model.  The framework offers support for generating a literacy program by highlighting promising practices, assessment and planning  tools to support the diverse needs of our learners and includes a balance of instructional approaches through ongoing, formative assessments that respond to individual needs.  The Workshop Model encourages teachers to follow the stages of Modelled, Shared, Guided and Independent. 

Word study is broken down into phonological and phonemic awareness, vocabulary, phonics and spelling.  These instructional areas are designed to expand and refine students' reading and writing competencies.  With knowledge of letter - sound relationships, students hone their abilities to make meaning of text and turn sounds into their own text and solve increasingly more difficult vocabulary.  Systematic instruction for phonics, spelling and word study takes place throughout the day.  Teaching, application and sharing out of word study can be provided during a separate or dedicated time through interactive read alouds, shared or guided reading.  
Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate the spoken parts of sentences and words.  Phonemic awareness is the ability to notice, think about and work with the individual sounds in spoken words
Vocabulary refers to the words we must understand to communicate effectively.  We often consider four types of vocabulary:  listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Phonics is  teaching our learners to read and pronounce words by learning the phonetic value of letters, letter groups and syllables.  Spelling is naming or writing the letters of a word and  word study is an approach where our students us word knowledge to attempt word spelling during activities or to decode unfamiliar words while reading.