Newest Arrival! |
The 2002 World Cup! |
Newest Arrival! |
Download to MS Word |
Instructions: Start by printing and laminating the game sheet . If it is laminated, a marker can be used to cross off the point squares, and with a simple wipe it can be clean and ready to used again. There are five sections on the grid: Phonics/Spelling, Where?, When?, Who? and Why? These are the general topics for the quiz questions - for each topic a question can be worth between one and five points. Next the teacher needs to prepare a question/answer key (this can be written on notepaper - only the teacher needs to really see this for purposes of listening and speaking, but if a teacher wants to present the written forms to the students for correction/review after the game, it is probably best that the key is typed out clearly). This can be based on questions or topics studied that day in class, or can be a review exercise for previous lessons. Phonics: Choose letters or sounds and rank them in difficulty from one to five. For this section you may ask the student(s) what the first - middle - last letter in a word is, or give them a letter and ask them to name 1-5 items beginning/ending in that letter, or using a particular vowel in a medial position. Spelling: Take five vocabulary items the students have studied, and rank them from 1-5 as above. When selected, the teacher reads out the word and the student(s) must correctly spell it. Where: Questions in this section can include basic "Where?" information questions in any tense, or Yes/No Questions orientated around location. When: "When?" information questions or Yes/No questions orientated around time or sequence. Who: "Who?" information questions or Yes/No questions orientated around people. Why: "Why?" information questions or Yes/No questions orientated around giving reasons or explanations, cause and effect, etc. Basically it is up to the teacher to come up with appropriate questions according to the students' study areas and ability. In the classroom, divide the students up into 1-6 teams. Teams take turns - they choose a category and a point value, understanding that the higher the points the more difficult the queston/prompt is going to be. If they choose a category and point and correctly answer the question posed to them by the teacher, they or their team earns the amount of points indicated. The teacher then crosses out that particular square and it is no longer available. If they answer incorrectly, the square remains available and opposition teams can attempt to answer it with their turn, with the added bonus of having already heard the question once with additional time to formulate a correct answer. Right ot wrong, the turn passes to the next team. The students with the most points at the end of the game or end of the lesson are (of course) victorious. This is an ideal challenging application activity - the higher points for the more difficult questions can help motivate the students to take on more complicated language forms. Variations: The game can incorporate many variations, such as penalizing a team by the indicated points if they answer incorrectly, or offering bonus points for answering a question that completes an entire topic category. At more difficult point levels, the students could be provided with an answer and be required to construct an appropriate question. The game is designed to be highly adaptable and incorporate just about any kind of general language. NOTE: Since making this activity available on this site, it has proved very popular, with considerable return visitation. If you have questions or concerns about the activity,please don't hesitate to contact English Raven (you can do so by clicking here). It would also be great to hear some impressions and/or criticism as to how well the activity is working in your classroom. click here to return to games/activities |
click here to return to games/activities |
Focus: Listening and vocabulary recognition/consolidation for Young Learners. Materials: Flashcards (any can be applied - for a list of English Raven's downloadable flashcard sets, click here), adequate table, floor or wall space, a toy punch-hammer or plastic fly-swat. "Sqeaky-Hammers" work best, as they let out an exciting sound when used and tend to be air-padded, which makes the game safer. Overview: This is a game designed to be used in conjunction with flashcards covering the kinds of vocabulary any given class is in the process of learning or reviewing. Given the physical movement and "action" involved, it is a particularly good activity for young learners who easily get bored or don't focus well by sitting at a desk and looking at a piece of paper. It is a great way to burn off students' excess energy in an educational way they find to be a lot of fun. It is best used as a "reward" activity at the end of a lesson, requiring the students to behave and concentrate for the former part of the lesson. Instructions: Ensure that you have adequate classroom control before you attempt to use this activity! If you have trouble controlling your students, there is the potential for one of them (or even you!) to get accidentally hurt in this activity, given that it involves swinging a toy hammer... Anyone abusing the "I know!" hammer should be instantly disqualified and sent to a corner. Start by reviewing students' knowledge of the vocabulary you have chosen by showing them the flashcards. These flashcards should incorporate previous as well as new vocabulary items, as the activity tends to encourage faster retention of new words. Spread all the flashcards out on a large table, or on some spare floor space, or attach them to a wall or white-board within reach of the students. It is really a simple game (for YL beginners, great things come in simple packages) - the teacher says a word and a selected student uses the punch-hammer to slam the corresponding flashcard. They have a three count to hit the right card, which corresponds to 1 point and the opportunity to slam again. Students should be encouraged to yell "I know!" as they hit the card, or at a slightly more advanced level: "I know -it's a ..........!" Really young beginners won't even need a point scoring system or any kind of competitive framework - the enjoyment of using the hammer in response to words stated by teacher will be more than satisfying enough for them! If a student hits the wrong card, or misses the three count, they miss that turn and the "I know!" hammer passes to the next student. Variations: This game can be used to introduce/reinforce any new vocabulary, as long as there are flashcards to be hit. It can also be used for recognition of letters of the alphabet. When the students advance to a stage involving sight-words, these words can be used instead of pictures and in combination with pictures (the latter requiring a double "I know!" thumping). Small sentences can be spread on the table/floor etc requiring the students to listen to a sentence from the teacher (eg, "I see a big dog!") and then hit each word in sequence, stating the word as they strike it with the hammer. |
click here to return to games/activities |
click here to return to games/activities |
click here to return to games/activities |
Focus: Pronunciation and/or Fluency Materials: Stop-watch or watch with second hand, word list comprising enough words so that each student will have 6-10 words of their own to use for the activity, or a sentence list to ensure that each student is required to produce a long meaningful utterance (relative to level) involving many words in combination. Overview: This activity doesn't just practice pronunciation - it teaches the students to speak more clearly and rapidly, and to improve their own performance both individually and as a group. This game is good, because there are no losers. The students are up against themselves. Use of this activity can see the students more then double the speed and clarity with which they pronounce English words and/or sentences. Instructions: Focus on Phonics sounds and Words - Distribute a complete list of words to all the students in the class. From this list, each student is assigned 6-10 words, and they should be words that the students find challenging and/or have been having particular trouble with. Focus on Words in Sentences - Distrbute a list of sentences to each student containing sounds studied as part of Phonics, or words/key language involved in that session's study material. Get the students to move their desks into a circle. Read all the words/sentences to the class and have them repeat as a group and then individually. Then give the students some time to practice their own particular group of words or sentence(s). Using the stop-watch, time the students as a group. When one student has finished reading their words aloud, the next student begins and so on, until all students have completed their assigned words or sentences. If a student mispronounces a word, he/she must go back to the beginning of their list and start again; if they mispronounce or omit a word in a sentence they should restart the sentence. The time reading should be from the moment the first student begins to when the last student finishes. Write the time on the whiteboard, and then repeat the activity. Students will instinctively want to improve their time, and with each repetition of the activity, the group time should get lower and lower. As a collective, the students have "won" when they beat a time decided by the teacher. This should be at least half of the first time result, but the students will usually be able to do far better than this. Make the target time a real challenge to them, and reward them if they achieve it. Variations: The students can be made to swap their individual lists with other students during the course of the activity to achieve a good general proficiency with the entire list of words. They can also be encouraged to memorize their words (ie, pronouncing them without looking at their written forms) by offering a "bonus" (for example 2 seconds from the overall time for each student that can recite their words from memory). The activity can also be used at higher levels of ability by giving students words or sentences in the present tense, which they must state orally in the past tense. Or students must name plural forms for nouns, or state opposites etc. At younger/lower levels, this game can become pure Phonics vocabulary-orientated, by using various alpha-flip cards. In this case, students do not read words, they name pictures they can see. To see the alpha-flip cards, click here. |
For full downloadable worksheets, see |
Use the World Cup event to make some fantastic classroom activities and games! Click on the trophy to go to English Raven's own 2002 World Cup English Challenge |
6. All-Purpose: English Master Quiz Very adaptable game/quiz for almost any age and any level - great for oral communication |
5. Vocabulary: The "I know!" Hammer Game Building recognition of classroom items and other nouns for YL beginners |
4. Alphabet/Writing: Finger-Writing Relay Great for students learning motor skills and writing the alphabet for the first time |
3. Time/Race: Beat the Clock A pronunciation/fluency promoting game where students compete against themselves |
2. Application Game: Listen, Run and Write Good for high beginner to advanced level young learners - Phonics/Listening/Spelling/Writing |
1. Card Game: Alpha-Flip Good for young learners looking to learn the alphabet and associate sounds to vocabulary |
For a comprehensive list of this site's downloads, go to |
For a bigger list of Phonics-related Supplements, see English Raven's |
Check out English Raven's all-time favorite activity: |
For full downloadable lessons, go to |
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Comprehensive Listings of Teacher Resource Sites |
For full downloadable lessons, go to |
Check out English Raven's all-time favorite activity: |
For a bigger list of Phonics-related Supplements, see English Raven's |
For a comprehensive list of this site's downloads, go to |
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Games |
Activities |
1. Card Game: Alpha-Flip Good for young learners looking to learn the alphabet and associate sounds to vocabulary |
2. Application Game: Listen, Run and Write Good for high beginner to advanced level young learners - Phonics/Listening/Spelling/Writing |
3. Time/Race: Beat the Clock A pronunciation/fluency promoting game where students compete against themselves |
1. Speaking in a Crowded Room English Raven's favorite all-round activity for creating English "sound" in the classroom |
2. Activities for teaching Sentence Stress A range of different activities and methodology |
4. Alphabet/Writing: Finger-Writing Relay Great for students learning motor skills and writing the alphabet for the first time |
5. Vocabulary: The "I know!" Hammer Game Building recognition of classroom items and other nouns for YL beginners |
6. All-Purpose: English Master Quiz Very adaptable game/quiz for almost any age and any level - great for oral communication |
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Use the World Cup event to make some fantastic classroom activities and games! Click on the trophy to go to English Raven's own 2002 World Cup English Challenge |
For full downloadable worksheets, see |
Focus: Pronunciation and/or Fluency Materials: Stop-watch or watch with second hand, word list comprising enough words so that each student will have 6-10 words of their own to use for the activity, or a sentence list to ensure that each student is required to produce a long meaningful utterance (relative to level) involving many words in combination. Overview: This activity doesn't just practice pronunciation - it teaches the students to speak more clearly and rapidly, and to improve their own performance both individually and as a group. This game is good, because there are no losers. The students are up against themselves. Use of this activity can see the students more then double the speed and clarity with which they pronounce English words and/or sentences. Instructions: Focus on Phonics sounds and Words - Distribute a complete list of words to all the students in the class. From this list, each student is assigned 6-10 words, and they should be words that the students find challenging and/or have been having particular trouble with. Focus on Words in Sentences - Distrbute a list of sentences to each student containing sounds studied as part of Phonics, or words/key language involved in that session's study material. Get the students to move their desks into a circle. Read all the words/sentences to the class and have them repeat as a group and then individually. Then give the students some time to practice their own particular group of words or sentence(s). Using the stop-watch, time the students as a group. When one student has finished reading their words aloud, the next student begins and so on, until all students have completed their assigned words or sentences. If a student mispronounces a word, he/she must go back to the beginning of their list and start again; if they mispronounce or omit a word in a sentence they should restart the sentence. The time reading should be from the moment the first student begins to when the last student finishes. Write the time on the whiteboard, and then repeat the activity. Students will instinctively want to improve their time, and with each repetition of the activity, the group time should get lower and lower. As a collective, the students have "won" when they beat a time decided by the teacher. This should be at least half of the first time result, but the students will usually be able to do far better than this. Make the target time a real challenge to them, and reward them if they achieve it. Variations: The students can be made to swap their individual lists with other students during the course of the activity to achieve a good general proficiency with the entire list of words. They can also be encouraged to memorize their words (ie, pronouncing them without looking at their written forms) by offering a "bonus" (for example 2 seconds from the overall time for each student that can recite their words from memory). The activity can also be used at higher levels of ability by giving students words or sentences in the present tense, which they must state orally in the past tense. Or students must name plural forms for nouns, or state opposites etc. At younger/lower levels, this game can become pure Phonics vocabulary-orientated, by using various alpha-flip cards. In this case, students do not read words, they name pictures they can see. To see the alpha-flip cards, click here. |
click here to return to games/activities |
Focus: Listening Comprehension, Spelling, Writing, Pronunciation. Materials: Two markers (preferably different colors), whiteboard, word lists. Overview: This game tests and provides active practice in almost every area of Phonics. Using it as a game activity distracts the students' attention from the fact that they are engaging in an all-round exercise in listening, spelling, writing and pronunciation. It is also an activity that is sure to make the students laugh, and is a great way of bringing the more "withdrawn" students out of their shells. Instructions: Before beginning the game, students should be shown the word lists and engage in some initial practice in spelling and pronouncing the words, as a group. Divide the students into two teams of roughly equal size and ability. The game will not be successful if one team is markedly more proficient than the other. Draw a line down the center of the whiteboard, marking one side "Team A" and the other "Team B". Students then sit on the side of the classroom that corresponds with their own half of the whiteboard, and there should be a clear corridor of space through the middle of the classroom. The teacher stands at the back of the classroom - opposite the whiteboard. One student from each team comes and stands in front of the teacher and takes a marker. The teacher then says one word from the aforementioned word list. The first student to run to their side of the whiteboard and write the word with correct spelling and clear writing, and then return to the teacher and spell the word orally (without looking at what they have written on the whiteboard) is the winner of that particular round. They get one point, which is marked on their side of the whiteboard. The other students on each team are free to help their team-mates by yelling out letters etc. This should create an atmosphere where all the students are instinctively using English to communicate. However, the final stage of the round (spelling and pronouncing the word orally to the teacher) should be carried out individually. The team with the most points at the end of the game is the winner, and should be rewarded in some way. Variations: The game can be adapted in various ways to make it more challenging and/or fun for the students. They can be required to hop or skip to the whiteboard and back, write using an elephant pose, turn around once between writing each letter, or using a combination of all of these and other "silly" techniques. Making the game seem very unserious and humorous is an excellent way to get the students to relax and enjoy themselves, and yet learn phonics skills at the same time. The teacher can give the two students different words, if they are of different ability. But it is better to have students paired off against other students of roughly the same ability, using the same word. It is important that the game appears fair and even to all students involved. |
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Focus: Alphabet-Writing Introduction, Motor Skills, letter-writing accuracy. Materials: Just two markers, a whiteboard and two teams of students and their index-fingers! Overview: This is a game that introduces the written forms of alphabet letters and helps students to both remember and apply the forms in a fun and competitive way. Best for very young learners through to late Elementary age students, who can use the activity as a fun review technique. Instructions: Start by reviewing the written forms of selected alphabet letters (big and/or small) on the whiteboard. Concentrate on the sequence involved in writing the letters (ie, which stroke or movement comes first, second, third, etc) and the motor skills - left to right, top bottom, circular strokes etc. Then have the students stand up and line up in two teams. Obviously the game will be more even and fun if the teams are reasonably well matched! Have them line up behind each other facing the whiteboard in two files and facing away from the teacher. The student at the front of the line, facing the whiteboard, holds a marker pen. Students are NOT to speak while the game is in progress, unless it is to state "I don't know!" or "one more time please!" to the team-mate behind them. Yelling or whispering the letters to a team-mate should involve automatic disqualification for that round. The teacher stands at the rear of the classroom, behind the last two students in each line. To start the round, the teacher should physically "write" a letter form on each student's back using his/her index finger. It is best if each team is assigned a different letter. Then the teacher shouts "go!" The students move forward and finger-write the same letter on the next student's back - the process is repeated in sequence right along to the student at the front of the queue (the one holding the marker), who then writes the letter they believe was written on their back on the whiteboard. If it is correct (the same letter form drawn by the teacher originally on the first student's back) then the team gets a point. Students then rotate for the next round, the front student moving to the back of the line and the next student taking the marker. To do well at this game, students must "finger-write" the forms clearly and carefully on the back of the student in front of them, who must likewise concentrate very hard on recognizing what it is that is being scrawled on their back. Younger learners really enjoy the challenge and "physical contact" aspect - in some ways it brings the alphabet forms to life for them, and writing them correctly suddenly becomes much more important! Variations: When students get better at the game, it can be made into a race, where the first team to relay the finger-writing through the team to a written form on the whiteboard gets the points. Another fun variation is to have the final student (with the marker) draw a vocabulary item using the finger-written letter as it's beginning letter. Another variation/follow-up is to have the students writing words instead of single letters. Moving from single letters into short monosyllabic words like "cat", "dog", "red" etc into bigger words. This allows the activity to be applied at even older/more advanced levels. |
click here to return to games/activities |
Focus: Listening and vocabulary recognition/consolidation for Young Learners. Materials: Flashcards (any can be applied - for a list of English Raven's downloadable flashcard sets, click here), adequate table, floor or wall space, a toy punch-hammer or plastic fly-swat. "Sqeaky-Hammers" work best, as they let out an exciting sound when used and tend to be air-padded, which makes the game safer. Overview: This is a game designed to be used in conjunction with flashcards covering the kinds of vocabulary any given class is in the process of learning or reviewing. Given the physical movement and "action" involved, it is a particularly good activity for young learners who easily get bored or don't focus well by sitting at a desk and looking at a piece of paper. It is a great way to burn off students' excess energy in an educational way they find to be a lot of fun. It is best used as a "reward" activity at the end of a lesson, requiring the students to behave and concentrate for the former part of the lesson. Instructions: Ensure that you have adequate classroom control before you attempt to use this activity! If you have trouble controlling your students, there is the potential for one of them (or even you!) to get accidentally hurt in this activity, given that it involves swinging a toy hammer... Anyone abusing the "I know!" hammer should be instantly disqualified and sent to a corner. Start by reviewing students' knowledge of the vocabulary you have chosen by showing them the flashcards. These flashcards should incorporate previous as well as new vocabulary items, as the activity tends to encourage faster retention of new words. Spread all the flashcards out on a large table, or on some spare floor space, or attach them to a wall or white-board within reach of the students. It is really a simple game (for YL beginners, great things come in simple packages) - the teacher says a word and a selected student uses the punch-hammer to slam the corresponding flashcard. They have a three count to hit the right card, which corresponds to 1 point and the opportunity to slam again. Students should be encouraged to yell "I know!" as they hit the card, or at a slightly more advanced level: "I know -it's a ..........!" Really young beginners won't even need a point scoring system or any kind of competitive framework - the enjoyment of using the hammer in response to words stated by teacher will be more than satisfying enough for them! If a student hits the wrong card, or misses the three count, they miss that turn and the "I know!" hammer passes to the next student. Variations: This game can be used to introduce/reinforce any new vocabulary, as long as there are flashcards to be hit. It can also be used for recognition of letters of the alphabet. When the students advance to a stage involving sight-words, these words can be used instead of pictures and in combination with pictures (the latter requiring a double "I know!" thumping). Small sentences can be spread on the table/floor etc requiring the students to listen to a sentence from the teacher (eg, "I see a big dog!") and then hit each word in sequence, stating the word as they strike it with the hammer. |
click here to return to games/activities |
Focus: All-round adaptable quiz application - focusing on Phonics/ Spelling and any language to do with location, time, people or reasons/ explanations Materials: Laminated Game Board, a marker and a pre-prepared question key. Overview: This is a very multifunctional game that can be used for application of language or general review. It can be used across almost all age groups and levels - the actual questions are prepared by the teacher. It can be used in a team-game format or individual teams format. In addition to covering many language functions, it is also features a difficulty factor which should encourage students to take risks and attempt to use more complicated language. |
Click on the image to see a full size version |
Instructions: Start by printing and laminating the game sheet . If it is laminated, a marker can be used to cross off the point squares, and with a simple wipe it can be clean and ready to used again. There are five sections on the grid: Phonics/Spelling, Where?, When?, Who? and Why? These are the general topics for the quiz questions - for each topic a question can be worth between one and five points. Next the teacher needs to prepare a question/answer key (this can be written on notepaper - only the teacher needs to really see this for purposes of listening and speaking, but if a teacher wants to present the written forms to the students for correction/review after the game, it is probably best that the key is typed out clearly). This can be based on questions or topics studied that day in class, or can be a review exercise for previous lessons. Phonics: Choose letters or sounds and rank them in difficulty from one to five. For this section you may ask the student(s) what the first - middle - last letter in a word is, or give them a letter and ask them to name 1-5 items beginning/ending in that letter, or using a particular vowel in a medial position. Spelling: Take five vocabulary items the students have studied, and rank them from 1-5 as above. When selected, the teacher reads out the word and the student(s) must correctly spell it. Where: Questions in this section can include basic "Where?" information questions in any tense, or Yes/No Questions orientated around location. When: "When?" information questions or Yes/No questions orientated around time or sequence. Who: "Who?" information questions or Yes/No questions orientated around people. Why: "Why?" information questions or Yes/No questions orientated around giving reasons or explanations, cause and effect, etc. Basically it is up to the teacher to come up with appropriate questions according to the students' study areas and ability. In the classroom, divide the students up into 1-6 teams. Teams take turns - they choose a category and a point value, understanding that the higher the points the more difficult the queston/prompt is going to be. If they choose a category and point and correctly answer the question posed to them by the teacher, they or their team earns the amount of points indicated. The teacher then crosses out that particular square and it is no longer available. If they answer incorrectly, the square remains available and opposition teams can attempt to answer it with their turn, with the added bonus of having already heard the question once with additional time to formulate a correct answer. Right ot wrong, the turn passes to the next team. The students with the most points at the end of the game or end of the lesson are (of course) victorious. This is an ideal challenging application activity - the higher points for the more difficult questions can help motivate the students to take on more complicated language forms. Variations: The game can incorporate many variations, such as penalizing a team by the indicated points if they answer incorrectly, or offering bonus points for answering a question that completes an entire topic category. At more difficult point levels, the students could be provided with an answer and be required to construct an appropriate question. The game is designed to be highly adaptable and incorporate just about any kind of general language. NOTE: Since making this activity available on this site, it has proved very popular, with considerable return visitation. If you have questions or concerns about the activity,please don't hesitate to contact English Raven (you can do so by clicking here). It would also be great to hear some impressions and/or criticism as to how well the activity is working in your classroom. click here to return to games/activities |
Download to MS Word |
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Newest Arrival! |
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The 2002 World Cup! |
Newest Arrival! |
