Buzz!!!!

So I first learned this game when I was student teaching, and I was absolutely astounded that it wasn’t the first thing I learned about literacy instruction during college.  Actually, not that astounded, because it’s a pretty simple game and all my professors probably thought I was smart enough to come up with it on my own.  But I wasn’t.  I’m good at faking smart, but I struggle when it comes right down to it.

One of the first things I DID learn in college is that developmentally appropriate practice involves the whole child- cognitive, social, emotional, and physical.  Kids need to move around, they need frequent breaks, they need to engage their whole bodies in learning. 

Enter: Word Wall Buzz

So simple, just the easiest way to incorporate movement into word wall activities.  Here’s how it works:

Get flash cards of the word wall words your kiddos need to learn.  I usually start with about 5 with my kindergartners.  Then add in a card that says “buzz.”  Go through the words as flash cards, and when you get to the buzz card, the kids get to get up and buzz around the room like bees for a few seconds. 

Each week, add the cards for the new words.  Once you have about 15 cards, add another buzz card.  Also, the game goes so quickly, you can go through the words a few times each time you play! 

This is also a great “sponge” activity if you have a few extra minutes to spare in transitions. 

It’s pretty incredible how quickly my kids learn sight words.  This is the best method I’ve used so far.  Almost all my students (half-time kindergartners) have mastered all the kindergarten words and most of the 1^st grade words. 

If I have a few extra minutes, I’ll pull out words from our stack that fit together to make a sentence.  The kids will work together to put them in the right order. 

If you’d like to try it with your class, grab it here!

Jodie