So who was Casimir Pulaski? A Polish nobleman who fought in the Revolutionary War, and is credited for saving the life of George Washington. You may never have heard of him if you live outside the Chicago area, but Casimir has become a favorite of Chicago-area school children because many of them have the first Monday of March off school to commemorate his life.
His name (pronounced pull/las’/key)became one of my favorite word-finding cues. I was invited to share my research at a school board meeting a few years ago. I decided to teach the board members my WF cue: “pull the last key.” I pulled out my keys, went around the room, and asked each board member to “pull the last key.” None of them have forgotten Casimir Pulaski’s name since!