My game for Young Learners
Age: 5-12 (and on)
Level: different levels, adaptable
Language Point: vocabulary, verbs, word order, plural, tenses ...
Material needed: picture flashcards
Classroom language / Functional Language: Out of rhythm, My mistake, Your mistake, You start,
Can I start?, Swap places ...
Instructions for the Game: Let us say we practice plural , word order, personal pronouns and a
verb have (all in one).
1.
Ss sit in a circle. Every child has a flashcard of a noun in front of him/her. It represents
what he/she has. Depending on the level, you can choose a flashcard with a word written in
the back (so that the S has a chance to read what he/she has), a flashcard with the words
and the picture on one side (if you practice spelling and reading as well), or only a picture
with no word support.
2.
The game starts with the rhythm: It is a sort of a brain-gym activity where you add words
to the rhythm. The rhythm consists of three hits: Two hits on the lap and one clap. (It also
presents sentence structure: Object - verb - the rest.)
3.
Once the rhythm is set, the one who starts adds words to the rhythm: Let’s say that the S
who starts has a flashcard of a cake and the called S has a flashcard of a banana and a
number 3 to it. So the game begins with the introduction what the S has and calls another
student with a different picture and the dialogue continues:
A (a cake): I have a cake, you have bananas.
B (a banana, No3) : I have bananas, she has apples.
C (an apple, No5) : I have apples, he has a cake.
A (a cake): I have a cake, you have cherries ...
4. When a S makes a mistake, all of the Ss change positions (they move one space to the left
and thus change their flashcards).
5. Every time a S makes a mistake, he/she gets a token. If she/he manages to speak two times
in a row when she/he is called without a mistake, he/she can get rid of a token.
6. The winners are Ss without a token (or with the least tokens).
NOTE:
The easiest way of playing the game is only practicing vocabulary. Both hits on the lap are silent,
the clap has a word.
You can practice only one specific feature at a time (like plural or nouns).
Photo of the Game: Practicing numbers