Fun Ways to teach Phonics, Reading and Vocabulary

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Title: TPR and Vocab
Type: Listen and Do.
Method: tudents are in teams. !ach team member is gi"en a
"ocabulary item # eg a color. There is one o$ each colour in
each team. !ither tell each person their colour, or gi"e them
a card %ith that colour. The teacher says, &'$ you ha"e a red
card, please stand up.& (r: &'$ you are red, please stand
up.& (r: &The $irst red to stand up gets a point $or their
team.& (r: &Reds, please stand up.&

Title: Point to 't
Type: Listen, Loo) and Do
Time: a $e% minutes at most
Method: tudents merely point to the item that the teacher says.
*llo% students to loo) at their $riends+ responses $or this.
This can be used $or the presentation stage o$ the lesson,
but needs to be )ept brie$. 't can also be used to re"ie%
items prior to a spea)ing acti"ity in games such as na)es
and Ladders and Follo% the Wire.
Rationale: Perhaps it is easier to learn $rom $ello% students rather
than $rom the teacher.

Title: Put the ,ards in (rder
Type: Listen, Loo) and Do.
Time: a $e% minutes at most
Method: tudents ha"e a selection o$ cards, say ten. The teacher reads
some -say $i"e. and the students rush to put them in order.
/est to )eep this brie$.

Title: /ring me
Type: Listen, Loo) and Do
Time: 01 to 02 minutes depending on number o$ cards
Method: !ach team has a set o$ cards, eg 03 out o$ 45 total -or 04
out o$ 03 total $or a shorter game.. The teacher calls out
one item and scores it o$$ the list. tudents bring the card
to the teacher. '$ it is correct, they get t%o points, but i$ it is
incorrect, they lose one point. The teacher )eeps the card.
When all items ha"e been called out, remaining cards are
subtracted $rom each team+s score.
Rationale: For reading, the deducted point encourages students to
attempt to read the card rather than merely sight guess.

Title: 6umbered or *lphabetised List.
Type: Listen, Loo) and Do
Method: tudents ha"e a $i7ed set o$ pictures in a $i7ed order. This
could be a ro% o$ pictures in a te7tboo), or a set o$ teacher+s
cards. The order o$ the cards should be the same $or all
students. 't may be necessary to re"ie% the numbers prior to
the e7ercise.
8i"e each item a number, but in$orm the students that they
must not %rite do%n the numbers beside the items. The
teacher as)s, 9What number is the ###:; 'nitially the items
can be numbered in simply linear $ashion, but later this can
be "aried.

Title: !7tension to 6umbered or *lphabetised list.
Type: Listen, Loo) and ay.
Method: The teacher calls out the number or letter and the students
gi"e the %ord.

Title: !7tension to 6umbered or *lphabetised list.
Type: Listen, Loo), ay and Write.
Method: (ne member $rom each team stands at the blac)board.
When the teacher calls out the item the team shouts the
ans%er to the person at the $ront, %ho %rites it. The %ritten
ans%er can be: a. the re$erence number, or letter o$ the item<
b. any %ord beginning %ith the re$erence letter o$ the item,
pro"ided no team has used that %ord be$ore< c. the %ord
itsel$.

Title: Follo% the Wire
Type: Listen, Loo) and Do
Time: 01 minutes at most
Method: tudents ha"e a grid o$ 42 to =3 items. The teacher has the
same grid %ith a path dra%n on it $rom a start s>uare -eg
the bottom le$t corner. to the $inish s>uare, mo"ing only
"ertically or hori?ontally.
tudents put one $inger on the start s>uare. The teacher calls
out the ne7t s>uare on the path and students mo"e their
$inger to it. '$ any student is seen to touch the %rong s>uare
%ith any hand, the teacher e7plodes -%ell, pleasantly@. *ll
students ha"e to return to the start s>uare. The teacher can
ma7imise the listening by repeating the item a number o$
times. 't doesn+t matter i$ students are learning $rom other
students, ho%e"er, be%are o$ letting the class blame a
%ea)er student $or causing an e7plosion.
(rigin: 'n the days %hen electronics %as a hobby, ' made a 9$ollo%
the %ire; game in %hich, i$ you touched the %ire, a bell
%ould sound. There are no% more sophisticated "ersions on
Aapanese TV game sho%s.

Title: na)es and Ladders
Type: Loo) and ay
Method: tudents ha"e a grid o$ say si7 ro%s by ten columns, and one
die per group. tudents ta)e turn to thro% the die and mo"e
$or%ard the number o$ s>uares. They read only the item on
the s>uare that they land on. '$ this s>uare is a ladder, they
climb up it, but i$ it is a sna)e, they slide do%n it.

Title: (thello B also )no%n as Re"ersi
Type: Loo) and ay
Time: Cp to =1 minutes depending on comple7ity o$ items
Method: tudents in pairs -or t%o teams o$ t%o. ha"e a grid o$ si7
ro%s by si7 columns $illed %ith items. They also ha"e =3
s>uares o$ counters cut $rom card that is one colour on one
side and a di$$erent colour -let+s say blac) and %hite. on the
re"erse. The rules are the same as (thello. tudents ha"e to
read the item on the s>uare %here they place their counter,
and the items o$ the opponents+ counters %hich they turn
o"er. To speed the game, a$ter a team had said three o$ the
items, they can turn o"er the remainder.
(rigin: Mario Rin"olucri+s "ersion used cards %ith the target
language on one side and translation on the other. This
"ersion allo%s both students to ha"e the same target.

Title: DonDt ta)e the last card
Type: Loo) and ay
Time: !ach game is Eust a $e% minutes, but allo% students to play
$our or $i"e times.
Method: tudents ha"e ten cards arranged in a pyramid B one on the
top ro%, t%o belo% it, three under them, and $our on the
bottom ro%. The students can ta)e -and say. one, t%o, or
three cards at a time. The student %ho ta)es the last card is
the loser.
*n alternati"e set o$ rules is that a student can ta)e cards
only $rom one line in any one turn, up to all the remaining
cards in that line.

Title: Thro% si7 to say
Type: Loo) and ay
Method: tudents in groups o$ $our or $i"e ha"e one die per group and
a page %ith ten items or so on it. They ta)e turns to thro%
the die. *s soon as one student gets a si7, the student starts
reading the %ords in order: &This is a boo), this is a bag...&
The other students continue to thro% the die in order, trying
to get a si7 be$ore the $irst student has read all ten %ords.
The ne7t student to get a si7 starts reading, interrupting the
$irst student. 't may be an idea to ha"e the student %ho is
currently spea)ing hold up a &speech bo7& $lag.
(rigin: This acti"ity is $rom the party game: &Cn%rap the
chocolate.& * bar o$ chocolate is in the middle o$ the room,
%rapped in se"eral layers o$ paper. *nyone %ho thro%s a si7
-or is it double si7 %ith t%o dice:. has to put on a hat, coat
and glo"es, pic) up the )ni$e and $or), and try to get at the
chocolate. '$ someone else thro%s a si7, they ta)e the hat, etc.
and dig into the bar. *nyone %ho gets to eat some chocolate,
ho%e"er small a piece, drops out o$ the game so that others
get a chance.

Title: Three card shu$$le
Type: *s), ay and Loo)
Method: tudents in pairs ha"e three cards. They put the cards $ace
up on the table, and one student tries to remember the order.
The other student turns the cards $ace do%n, and is allo%ed
to slo%ly shu$$le them into ne% positions, t%o at a time. They
can ma)e only three changes. That students then as)s,
9What+s this:; pointing to one card. The $irst student tries
to remember.

Title: P WhatDs This
Type: *s), Loo) and ay
Method: tudents ha"e three cards each. They pair up and do P.
The loser has to select a card, sho% it to the %inner and as)
&WhatDs this:& '$ the %inner can supply the correct ans%er,
they ta)e the card $rom the loser. The aim is to get the most
cards and not lose any.

Title: P Three ,ard 8uess
Type: *s), Loo) and ay
Method: tudents ha"e three cards each. They pair up and do P.
The loser has to select a card, but sho%s only the bac) o$ the
card to the %inner. The loser as)s: &'s this a ruler:& The
%inner has to guess, &Fes, it is,& or &6o, it isnDt.& '$ the
%inner guesses correctly, they ta)e the card. tudents then
change partners.

Title: 8uess the card.
Type: *s), ay and Loo)
Method: !"ery student has three cards. tudents choose a partner
and do P. The loser has to point to one o$ their cards and
as) a FesG6o >uestion: 9's this a pen.; The %inner has to
guess i$ it is or not. '$ the %inner is correct, they ta)e the
card $rom the loser. tudents change partners. !nd the game
%hen se"eral students ha"e lost all their cards.

Title: /lind >uestions.
Type: *s), ay and Loo)
Method: Cse a page $rom the studentsD boo) or ma)e a sheet %ith the
eight or ten items on it. tudent * closes their eyes and puts a
$inger on one corner o$ the page. Partner / puts tudent *Ds
$inger onto one o$ the pictures and as)s: &WhatDs this:&
tudent / guesses.

Title: Fishing %ith magnets
Type: Loo) and ay
Method: *ttach paper clips to lots o$ cards. Put some magnets on the
end o$ a string attached to a short rod. tudents $ish $or a
card and read it.

Title: !ight cards in a ro%.
Type: Loo) and ay
Method: tart %ith all the eight cards $ace up in a ro%. Teams o$
students say their eight cards. Then they turn o"er the $irst
card and say all eight again. They proceed to turn o"er one
card at a time until they can correctly say all eight cards $ace
do%n, in order.

Title: Telepathic students
Type: Loo), *s) and ay
Method: Prior to the class -or acti"ity. tell one student the secret. Put
a selection o$ teacher+s cards at the $ront o$ the class. The
9telepathic; student goes out o$ the room, and can+t see or
hear the decision. The other class members, or the teacher,
choose one item. The telepathic student is called bac) in. The
teacher proceeds to point at the cards, in no particular order
and the other students as) the >uestion: 9's it the baboon:;
'$ the teacher points to the top o$ the card, the telepathic
student replies: 96o, it isn+t.; /ut, i$ the teacher points to the
bottom o$ the card, they respond: 9Fes, it is.; This is
repeated se"eral times, and i$ some other students catch on,
they can become telepathic, too.

Title: ,ount the guesses
Type: Loo), *s) and ay
Method: tudents are in pairs and ha"e either a page o$ up to eight
items, or eight cards. (ne student chooses an item but does
not say %hich one. The other student guesses: &'s it the
table:& For each %rong guess, the $irst student gets one
point.

Title: Fill in the Ma?e
Type: Listen and Write
Method: Method: Ma)e a ma?e %ith about 51 blan) s>uares $rom the
start to the $inish, and a $e% blind alleys. 8i"e each student a
die. tudents hold the dice up in their hands until you dictate
the item they ha"e to %rite. Then they thro% the die once
only, and %rite the item in the number o$ s>uares indicated
on the die. There is a sample ma?e in Word HI $ormat here
-001) bytes..

Title: Room Maps
Type: Loo) and Write
Method: Prior to the class, place cards or photocopies o$ items under
the des)s in a classroom. Dra% a map o$ the class %ith all the
des)s. Ma)e a copy %ith the ans%ers. tudents $ill in the
map, %riting the item onto the des) on the map.

Title: Rail%ay Riots
Type: Loo) and Write< ,opy, Read and Loo)
Time: 02 to 41 minutes.
Method: Prepare a set o$ about 0J &stations.& !ach station %ill ha"e
its o%n name as a picture item, and the ne7t destination as
either a picture or a %ord. The station signposts are spread
around the room. The students ha"e a blan) map %ith Eust
one starting station %ritten in. They read the %ord and $ind
the station. Then they copy or %rite the ne7t destination on
their map. When they ha"e completed the $ull circle, they are
$inished. There is a sample o$ rail%ay riots in Word HI
$ormat here -I5) bytes..