On a spring day, the teacher draws 11 chalk dashes on the board, and hands begin to wave. Goldfarb nods toward a boy. Goldfarb counts across dashes and inserts the vowel in two places. Smiles stretch every face. The teacher fills two more spots.
Hands pierce the air.
The class groans. The winner gives a victorious smile and takes over the game, sketching dashes across the chalkboard. Answers and definitions. As part of the Columbus district's emphasis on reading, every elementary classroom must have a Word Wall. Each teacher dictates the content.