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

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

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

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.

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 175 - 178. Literacy Collaborative Webinar #5, 2011/cd/tc

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.