Inventor McLoughlin was using the game successfully with individual students when her colleague, fourth grade teacher Judy Schavio, first learned about it. Schavio was looking for a way to help her students with auditory processing problems. The game, which is tied to New Jersey's core curriculum standard, is designed to introduce 10 to 15 key words each week. The children set up the classroom like a TV studio, and McLoughlin and other resource teachers are judges. Children pair up in teams to compete and must first discuss the clues and ring a bell to answer.
Incorrect responses pass to the other team.
They write them in their portfolios, and I distribute the words and clues to take home for practice. Originally focusing on science literacy, the show now incorporates vocabulary from all curriculum areas- language arts, social studies, math, science, and Spanish. It can even be used for sign language. At the midyear mark, the key word list includes approximately 150 words, with 250 to 300 key words as a goal by June. It's how children learn, listen, and think.