1. The Buddy Study System
Literacy Collaborative Webinar #5, 2011/cd/tc

2. Goals of Word Study
To examine a systematic way of teaching children how words work
To teach children how to become independent word solvers
To teach children to be flexible in determining how words work

3. The Process of Buddy Study
One word study principle is introduced for each 5 day cycle.
Children choose words to study for the week.
Throughout the 5 days children learn effective ways to study the words they have chosen.
Assessment is on-going by children and a buddy test is graded by the teacher.
Remind LCs that they should be placing an exemplar from the word study principle on their word walls.
This is the framework of Buddy Study or the process in a “nutshell.”
We’ll be reading and talking about the two major sources of words for study in just a bit.
Literacy Collaborative Webinar #5, 2011/cd/tc

4. Selecting Buddies
Teacher uses assessment information to pair students with similar achievement at a particular point in time.
Need to be able to read each other’s spelling words.
Children will learn from each other’s lists.
Teacher may choose to rotate partners monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly.

5. Buddy Study Cycle Day 1: Lesson & Choose, Write, Build, Mix, Fix
Day 2: Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check
Day 3: Make Connections
Day 4: Buddy Check
Day 5: Buddy Test .
Also have LCs note that daily components are described in Word Matters, pages
Literacy Collaborative Webinar #5, 2011/cd/tc

6. Day 1
Rationale: Students notice details and patterns when forming words with concrete, visual tools of magnetic letters.

7. Day 1: Minilesson & Choose, Write, Build, Mix, Fix
Students choose 10 – 15 words
from those that illustrate the spelling principle (core words).
from their words to learn list (personal words), and/or
from a spelling assessment of high frequency words
Students then make the words using magnetic letters…mix and fix.
To maximize time, have LCs work in partners. One reads the “Core Words” description and the other reads the “Personal Words” description. Then they tell each other about what they read.
Literacy Collaborative Webinar #5, 2011/cd/tc

8. Example: Choose Your Words
Spelling Principle:
Some adjectives end with the letters “ous,” which sound like “us.”
fabulous
magnanimous
stupendous
sanctimonious
Words to Learn:
yesterday
mostly
finally
High Frequency:
although
because
their
while

9. Day 2
Rationale: This routine helps students learn how to look at and study words. It helps them learn what parts to notice.

10. Day 3
Watch video of Day 4.
Rationale: This task helps students think about how words are related. They learn how to use what they know to write new words.
Literacy Collaborative Webinar #5, 2011/cd/tc

11. Examples: Making Connections
Similarities in spellings (beginning, middle, or end)
Similarities or differences in meaning (synonyms or antonyms)
Similarities in sound: rhyming, homophones,
Relationships: analogies, root words, affixes
Similarities in word parts
Heinemann video – 4 minutes with children
30 seconds with teacher
You can begin by asking all children to find words that start like their spelling word
Keep a running list of the ways they can make connections
Add to it as time goes on
Sometimes tell them which connection to make
Other times allow them to choose
Have LCs try it with their words.
Literacy Collaborative Webinar #5, 2011/cd/tc

12. Day 4
Rationale: Students learn how to notice and correct spelling errors.

13. Day 5
Rationale: Students are tested to document their learning and provide evidence for evaluation and accountability.

14. Day 5 Buddy Test
The buddy test is written in the word study notebook or on a piece of paper.
Children give each other the test providing a sentence for each word given.
The buddy test is given to the teacher.
The teacher checks the test.
Heinemann video – 5 minutes with children
1 minute with teacher
If time, have LCs do. May have to skip this for time’s sake.
Literacy Collaborative Webinar #5, 2011/cd/tc

15. Buddy Study
Each day of buddy study focuses on a different way of learning or studying words.
The days are done in sequence in order to support students’ developing understanding of the word study principle, and to give them ways to study words.

16. What kind of modifications can we make to support the needs of individual students?
Some need fewer words
Some need more challenging words
Shorter/longer times to complete activities
Teaching/re-teaching systems/routines
Emphasize that the essentials to Buddy Study are:
Teaching the routines
Placing an emphasis on learning effective spelling strategies
Independent learning of the students (They learn how to learn about words.)
Literacy Collaborative Webinar #5, 2011/cd/tc

17. How do I know which words they need to learn?
Look at their writing for commonly misspelled
Do a spelling inventory using the high frequency word list and highlight the words the child does not know. The child then chooses highlighted words to add to their “words to learn” sheet.

18. How do I keep track of all the words they are learning?
By checking their word study notebook
Highlighting high frequency word lists
Checking off words on the “words to learn" sheet

19. What about shortened weeks?
I might decide to make the buddy study cycle run over two weeks.
On occasion, (not often) I might skip buddy study on a short week but continue to have a word study mini-lesson and an application activity during that week.
This might be a good time to focus on vocabulary work instead.

20. Who corrects the buddy test?
The classroom teacher corrects the buddy test.
This allows you to keep track of their progress.

21. How do I send home a copy of the buddy test and still keep one for record of progress?
Send home the word study notebook and ask that it be brought back the next day.
Make a copy of the test to send home.

22. How do I hold students accountable for these words in their writing?
Be sure students know that saying words slowly when they don’t know how to spell a word is absolutely okay, BUT if it is a principle they have studied in word study and/or buddy study you will ask them to check those words for correct spelling.

23. When do students do the buddy study activities?
During a word study block in class
In some cases, making connections can be started in the classroom and completed as homework.