Search results matching tags 'vocabulary' and 'games'

Word Central Games

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:36:00 GMT

Merriam-Webster's Word Central has the Games section with Alpha-bot, Robo-Bee, BIGbot, Jumble Kids games - nicely designed and funny, these games will help students improve their vocabulary skills in an easy and active way. The games are a good thing to make vocabulary practice the students' favourite.

Fabulous Find Friday

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 01:27:00 GMT

I'm joining Fabulous Find Friday to share with you a word generator from Game Gal that you can

use for quick game time fillers, indoor PE, or rainy day activities.

I plan to bookmark this to have quick access to fun games like Charades or Pictionary. It does the "thinking" of the word for you. So cool!

I can also see how you could use this for vocabulary games or writing topics. Display it on your projector and have students brainstorm about the word shown, in this case, picnics.

Also, don't miss the chance to enter my GREAT laminator giveaway.

Win a $49.95 Paper Monster laminator. Enter {HERE}

Fern Smith's Are You Ready For Some Team Swat?

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Are You Ready For Some Swat?!?!

We play a game in my class called "Swat! Vocabulary Game" where we all have individual fly swatters & we swat the words on index cards on our desk.

Then I learned how to play Team Swat, we play boys against girls & I project the vocabulary words onto the white board with my Elmo ~ it is not a Smart Board, but it is still fun & amazing to use!

Team Swat! Boys vs. Girls!

Then a helper {or the teacher} calls out the words or the definitions or synonyms, etc. for the students to find the words & SWAT them!

Come check out my blog to see some other ways to play SWAT!

I'm currently the 3rd grade team leader, Teacher of the Year and blog addict!
I ♥love♥ new followers, come check out my blog and see what you think!

Family Feud

Anonymous — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

I have recently found this great way to assess understanding of concepts and math vocabulary.

Split the class up into groups of 4-6. Each group gets a set of small cards which each have on them one maths related word. The first thing they have to do is write on each card, under the math related word which is at the top, three words that people will not be allowed to use when describing the top word. For example, if the top word is circumference then three words the team could write underneath could be circle, perimeter and length. The idea is to make the describing of the top word as tricky as possible. The words that they can’t use when describing the top words are called Taboo words.

The sets of cards are then passed onto another group and one person in the group gets 1 minute to describe as many of the top words as possible to their group colleagues without using the taboo words. The teams get a point for each correct word they guess. Each team has a go and the scores added up at the end to identify the winning team. You can do a tie-breaker round if necessary.

There are lots of variations you could do of this game and it does seem to really engage the kids and is an excellent way to revise key vocabulary and assess conceptual knowledge. You can create this variation into a Family Feud where different classrooms come up with the next classrooms list for a review game where you have to find object describes the word best. This can be as a class or as small groups like the ones mentioned above. You can find a link to the original article here: http://www.greatmathsteachingideas.com/2010/06/17/taboo-words/#comment-2843

Great Maths Teaching Ideas is a great place to get great teaching ideas for math teachers. Happy Teaching!

Popping with Sounds

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:55:00 GMT

Pop, Pop, Pop!!

Our Kindergarten teacher shared a super game/activity kit from Lakeshore Learning with me this week. I tried the Pop and Match beginning sounds and ending sounds kits with my Kindergarteners and first grade students. They absolutely loved these game kits. I found the kits to be a great way to talk about basic vocabulary words as well as practicing beginning and ending sounds in simple CVC and CVCC words.

However, by far the BEST part of the activities (in my students' opinions) was getting to use the really cool dome shaped die "poppers" that come with the kits!! (The "poppers" remind me of the die rolling device found in the board game, Trouble.) As students take turns playing the games, they get to press down on the dome of the "popper" to roll the die inside. It's definitely a sensory and kinesthetic buzz for some kids. I can't wait to try the next set (medial sounds kit game) after Spring Break!

Pop, Pop, Pop!!

Skip-Bo Junior

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 23:47:00 GMT

As I said in my previous post, I really love using games with my English Language Learners! This week we tried a new game called Skip-Bo Junior. Wow! My kids had a blast with the game and much laughter was heard in the room. My older students (upper elementary) especially got into the game. You would have thought we were in Las Vegas or something!

Skip-Bo Junior is wonderful game for teaching the concept of sequence, especially numerical sequence. We discussed "sequence" before the game and we came up with examples (alphabetical order, months of the year, days of the week and numerical sequence of one through 10).

But, I had to laugh at the comment of one of my older students! After we had talked about the rules of the game and reinforced the idea of numerical sequence of 1-10, Pretty Nails Girl looked at me and piped up.

"Mrs. Gumby! Are we learning vocabulary words???"

Oh yes, my dear...Mrs. Gumby is sneaky that way! Heh, heh, heh!

In Skip-Bo Junior, each player is dealt a stockpile of cards and then attempts to win by playing all the cards on building piles in numerical sequence from #1 through #10. The first player to get rid of all of their stockpile cards first wins! Skip-Bo Junior is great fun for ages 5 and up, and comes with simplified game rules and appealing, kid-themed graphics.

Winner of the VocabularySpellingCity FREE Premium version is…

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:07:52 GMT

Nickie Simmons! A HUGE THANK YOU to all who entered! Even if you did not win the premium version, you should still try out the FREE version. I have to admit I LOVE the Premium version, but the FREE version is still very, very, cool! Stay tuned for my honest review of the 3 weeks [...]

#ELTBITES Challenge: We like to move it, move it

Anonymous — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:50:00 GMT

Once in a while I read something and I find myself thinking, "Now, why didn't I think of that?". Well, Richard Gresswell had such an idea. He started a blog, called it ELTBITES, and challenged us: "Describe an activity that requires no more than the teacher, students, and possibly making use of the board, pens, and paper. Describe the activity aims and procedure concisely in no more than 200

The Best Strategies for Teaching English to kids

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:00:24 GMT

Check out some tips on teaching English to little kids. Game ideas. Best links. Simple songs.

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Incorporating Vocabulary

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:00:00 GMT

Incorporating vocabulary is essential in every classroom from English to science. Making the vocabulary fun and engaging is even more dificult, some teachers just hand out a vocabulary list and have the students memorize them. (SNORE!) A few of my favorite ways to incorporate vocabulary into the classroom is by playing games. I created a vocabulary cranium which includes math definitions instead of the game's words. There is sketching the answer, acting out the answer, solving the answer, and what Cranium calls word worm. I adapt my lesson and come up with cards and have the students play in teams and we have a little prize at the end. (The best is acting... who can act out parallel lines?)

Other ways to incorporate vocabulary is the person at the board is blind-folded and told to draw a vocab word and the team to guess it correctly wins. Next is tag vocabulary, I start the day with a jumbled list of vocab words on the board and when read the definition the students have to tag the appropriate word.

Lastly is the word wall, yes almost every teacher has one in his/her classroom, but I like to keep temporary word walls outside the classroom. I sometimes give the students sidewalk chalk and have the students write the word and the definition so they see it when they are leaving and when they are exiting the school. (Not on the walls of the school.) I have also purchased window markers, I am wondering if the students will/won't have trouble writing on the windows in the classroom.