The content of this blog consists primarily of my experiences as a teacher of middle school English Language Learners (ELL's) in an academically underperforming school in western Massachusetts. Older posts include reflections on my work as a reading teacher of teen males in a secure juvenile justice facility. I teach where I think it matters most. I work with kids who come from nothing to help them see that they can be something. It hurts, but I love it.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Scrabble Slam!
I love Scrabble Slam, the new hot game in my Reading Workshop. What is it? Scrabble Slam is a deck of 55 cards, each with a letter on the front and the back. Start by making a four-letter word, then change that word one letter at a time, rapid-fire, until someone plays all their cards. That's it! No taking turns as in regular Scrabble...that's too priggish. This is the clink, baby! Builds on sight-word recognition, word attack skills, even phonics and phonemic awareness. Take that, National Reading Panel!!
The best part is the special rule (which I made up, naturally): the number of cards left in your hand at the end of the game is the number of pushups you have to do. Hit the floor, dawgz! That's a direct quote from one of my students...I'm guessing at the spelling of 'dawgz' but I realize I should check UrbanDictionary.com. I don't actually force anyone to adhere to this rule, but after they see me drop and bang out a quick ten, my students can't seem to let themselves get outmuscled by KBizzle. We're getting huge in Reading Workshop.
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by the way, I realize that KBIZ would not be allowed as a word in Scrabble Slam. No proper nouns, no acronyms, and, I think, no street language...yet. BTW, my pipes are massive. I'm sure I intimidate my students.
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