Expert Words

So, after a meeting with some coworkers about a nugget I was (and am) worried about, my friend gave me such a great idea!

This particular nugget is struggling to automatically know the difference between "b" and "d".

She suggested that I make him the "expert" of one of those letters.  

I chose "b".

So, he now has a lanyard that says, "Ask me what sound this letter makes," on one side and the letter on the other.

He is in charge of that letter. 

If anyone else in the room reverses the letter, they go to him to see his lanyard.

He LOVES being the "boss of b".

So......as we were talking I realized that this concept could work for ALL my nuggets.

I consulted their high frequency word list of 300 words and picked one that they didn't know how to read yet.

If they knew them all, I picked a frequently used writing word.

(One little girl got switched to 'they' since I remembered that she struggles to spell it ALL THE TIME!)

Aaaaannnnndddd...I may have also forgotten that I had already given that word to someone.

Whoops!

Here is how I have it listed right now:

My nuggets write this word on every single piece of paper that I give to them.  

(Name, number, expert word, and date.)

I keep it in my binder (which is out most of the day) so that I can reference who has what if I need to.

I truly don't need to, though!

A nugget will get stuck on a word and quietly say, "Is anyone the expert for _________?" and that person will answer.

If no one answers they consult their word list.

It's magical I tell you!

Seriously, who doesn't love being the expert of something...anything??!!

Some of them have learned these words so well and so fast that they will become a two-word expert when we return from spring break.

This is the most effective word-learning activity I have ever used.

For realz.

I hope you had a great weekend.

Let me know if you start using expert words in your classroom!

Laters,

Mrs. B