On Wednesday, Grade 1 students walked into their classrooms to find a mystery waiting for them - a 'crime scene' with words cut in half! The reading detectives quickly discovered that these weren’t just any words, but compound words in disguise. Students examined each word, read it as a whole, then split it into its two clue-giving parts. After practicing each word, they solved the case by gluing the pieces back together like a puzzle. The result of blending creativity with purposeful instruction is playful, engaging learning that helps concepts stick!