Last week I tried out two new ice-breakers at the very beginning of the lesson, and it worked well in both Elementary groups. To make long story short, here they are:
1) Alphabet Race. Write all the alphabet letters in a list form. Divide students into 2-3 teams. Set the timer for 2-3-5 minutes. The task can vary:
- write 1 word starting with each letter of the alphabet
- write two words starting with each letter of the alphabet: one adj. and one noun - I used this one
- write adjecives (verbs/noun) starting with each letter of the alphabet
- write words connected with topic "____" starting with each letter of the alphabet
When checking as a whole class activity, give plus for every correctly written word. The winner is the group who got the most number of pluses.
2) Word Chain: Level Advanced.
- Divide students into 2-3 teams.
- Give each team a had-out with the following grid:
NOUNS 5-LETTER WORDS ADJECTIVES
_______ __________________ _____________
_______ __________________ _____________
_______ __________________ _____________
- Explain the rules. Words in this task should be written as in a word chain: last letter of a previous word becomes the first letter of the following.
- Exmaple: chair (noun) -- round (5-letter word) -- dangerous (adj.) -- stairs (nouns) -- etc. Set the timer for 3-5-7 minutes.
- Check as a whole class activity and award pluses/stars for every correctly written word. The winner is the team with the biggest score.
Hope your kids will enjoy it as well :)
Have a great lesson ;)
Today I was substituiting a teacher from a different educational centre: it was the last lesson in the semester for two of her ESL groups - elementary1 and eng2a, which is group for young learners of 5-6 grade.
I didn't have much time to prepare, so my game choice was rather classic, however kids loved it (probably for the reason of competition spirit and being allowed to move around the classroom).
So I would like to put here the list of activities we played in order to add them to a piggy bank of games.
1) Make as many words out of a longer word (ex. establishment) as possible in 3 minutes. P.S. it's better to divide the time into halfs, so that they don't loose the sense of time and when the timer indicates a minute and half they know that they need to speed up and focus
2) Dragon's tail. Write a word starting with last letter of the previous one. P.S. 1st variant - divide students into 2-3 teams and make them compete over who writes more words in 2 minutes or who writes a 15-words line faster. 2nd variant - make a circle and throw a ball to each other. The person who cannot provide the next word in 5 seconcds is out. Play till there's one or two winners.
3) Alphabet chain. Make a circle, students throw the ball to each other saying words on each letter of the alphabet in the correct order. P.S. Be sure to note that other students are not allowed to help the person with the ball. Make them compete. You can either give points for each word (if the group and smalland then on 1-2-3-4-5 the move just transports to another player) or you can apply the "out of the circle if you can't provide a word" strategy.
4) Alphabet competition. Students make a circle and throw a ball saying the alphabet as fast as possible. One person - one letter. Make 2 or 3 rounds shortening the goal time every turn.
5) What am I? Invite one student to sit with his back to the board. Draw something on the board. The student has 15 yes-no questions to ask the group and guess the word. P.S. 1st variant - score the points. If the students guesses the answer in 6 questions, you give him 9 points. 2nd variant - print a funny picture in advance, the student needs to guess not just one object, but the whole picture (ex. 2 talking oranges).
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1) Alphabet Race. Write all the alphabet letters in a list form. Divide students into 2-3 teams. Set the timer for 2-3-5 minutes. The task can vary:
