Making Grammar Practice and Homework Meaningful
July 14, 2007
Kari Miller, Academic Coordinator
kmiller@cec-epn.edu.ec
Using the workbook in class/Correcting answers:
1. Tic Tac Toe: Play Tic Tac Toe with the answers. Before class, assign some of the
answers to the homework/workbook a number 1-9. Put a Tic Tac Toe board on the
board and play by teams. Teams take turns choosing a number from the Tic Tac
Toe board and, if their answer is correct, they get an X or O. If a team misses the
answer, the other team gets a chance to “steal” it.
2. For correcting dialogs:
a. Mime and speak: Send two volunteers to the front of the room. Have two
other students read the dialog. As they read, have the two at front mime the actions
in the dialog.
b. Put students into groups and have them practice the dialog, then perform it for
the class. As groups perform their dialogs, the rest of the class listens for the
answers. Afterwards, the class gets to discuss/debate the correctness of the answers.
3. Correction groups:
a. Pass out a handout with the answers to a section of the homework. Ask
groups to correct their exercises and discuss answers they have wrong.
b. Divide the exercises needing correction into two groups. Divide the class
likewise. Assign each group a section of the exercises and ask them to exchange
their homework with the other group. Have each group grade the other group’s
exercises. Discuss answers as a class afterwards.
4. Correction cards: When students arrive in class, distribute notecards or small sheets
of paper and have them record their answers to their homework assignment. (If it is
a lengthy assignment, you might choose specific questions for them to record.)
Allow just enough time for this copying and collect the cards. Now go over the
homework as usual. Students can correct their own work and keep the feedback
immediately, while the teacher can go back later and correct the homework at
his/her own leisure. (www.education-world.com)
5. Give students a choice for homework. Instead of sending the entire class the same
assignment, tell students to choose the assignment they would prefer to do. For the
correction, put groups that chose the same activity together and check their answers.
6. Homework game: Make correction more student-centered. Start with one student,
who gives the answer to one exercise. This student, if correct, gets to choose
someone to give the next answer, and this person in turn would choose the next
person. If the student is incorrect, the first student with the correct answer gets to
choose the next person to answer. Variation: play this in games, having teams take
turns answering questions. Assign points for correct answers. Take away points for
incorrect answers or for students who have not completed the assignment.
7. Survey: In exercises with questions or opinions, instead of having students give their
own opinion/personal answer/point of view, have them survey other students in the
class.
8. Info gap: Pass out 1 of the exercise answers to every student. In order to correct the
entire assignment, students must walk around and check their answers with the
people who hold the correct answer in class.