Adventures in Remote Learning: Unmute and Tell Me Your Word

Me: Alrighty, Super Stars, who is ready to add some words to our O and N lists?


(Several hands shoot up into the air onscreen)


Me: Um, okay, ______, unmute and tell me your word.


Star: I have a letter O word.


Me: Awesome! Let me hear it.


Star: Oprah!


Me: Oprah! Yes, "Oprah" is an O word! And because it's the name of a person, we use an uppercase O at the beginning.


Star, interrupting: Uh, Mrs. Sommerville, I said "Oprah," NOT "Oprah."


Me: Ummm... what, honey?


Star: I SAID OPRAH, ****NOT**** OPRAH.


Me: Mmmmmm.... Are you talking about a person, a famous person?


Star: No, no, not a person. It's something you uh, you uh, you eat! (mumbling in the background).... I KNOW Dad, I *AM* explaining it to her!


Me: ... something you eat... do you mean OKRA?


Star: Yes! OPRAH! My dad fries it! (more mumbling in the background)


Me: Okay (writing).... o....k....r....a. Okra. Is that your word, honey?


Star: Uh, I don't know. I don't know how to spell yet.


And right in front of my Star's face a thumbs-up sign being made by an adult hand appeared on the screen.


And that, folks, is how word-list building is happening in this time of Zoom instruction and remote learning.