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thu_tinh
Joined: 27 Sep 2006
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 Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:10 pm Post subject: Vocabulary Games for the entire class |
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Are there any games that I can play with my entire 3rd grade class that would reinforce vocabulary for them?
I need the rules to be easily understood by me since my coteachers always seems to translate games into something completely different.
I was told making word searches and all would be good, but I think that it won't last for 45 mins at all. |
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oneofthesarahs
Joined: 05 Nov 2006
Location: Sacheon City
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:41 am Post subject: |
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Word searches are good for 10-15 minutes occasionally, but definitely not more often that that. Crosswords are a bit more useful, I think. You can make your own at http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/
When I'm trying to reinforce vocabulary, I often turn it into either Pictionary (one student draws and the others guess the word) or charades, if the vocab allows it.
I also like making vocabulary murals. Ask each student to write a sentence using X number of vocabulary words. Then they have to draw a picture of their sentence. They then have to share them with the class and I post them all up on the bulletin board. |
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Bear256
Joined: 28 Dec 2006
Location: Anacortes, Washington USA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:51 am Post subject: Vocabulary.... |
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There are two games I play that my classes like. 1) I spread the vocabulary flashcards out around the room and make two teams and have them compete to find them with one member from each team at a time. I usually give two words such as mountain and apple or some such pair. It gives them each a chance to be a winner and find one or really be the hero and find both. 2) Fast find-I split the whiteboard in half and write the words on each side in different order. One member from each team races up to the board, finds the word (their team can offer help but ONLY in English like up, down, above.... or below....) and races back to touch a chair in the back. It is a good way to reinforce the written words with the name.
Hope these may be of some help. |
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ddeubel
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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As Bear mentioned, flashcards are a MUST. But still he / she doesn't go far enough or make the game "language" oriented.
All vocabulary should be taught through grammatical structure! Meaning, verbs, verbs, verbs and more verbs. They are the fly paper and you won't catch any flies (vocab) unless you have it.
So many teachers spend so much time just focusing on words, independent memorization. This is so slow and tedious for learning. Running up to a board, slapping a picture or just repeating a flashed card name won't do it either....
Spend time teaching students how to play flash card games. Easy to print sets by opening a powerpoint (I have many , 1,000s of slides all nicely formatted from mes-english on my site, go and scroll through presentations and look for English for Everyone or Super Vocabulary), open the powerpoint and then select print preview. Then select 6 slides / page. Print the set (Family / actions / classroom etc...). Laminate if possible.
After this teach the games first whole class and then they can play in groups/pairs. Don't make the groups too large or they will have too much time doing nothing. So many games, too many to describe here but structure each game around a target language structure, ex. I like to eat (food). Students are using real language and by inserting the vocab, the flies are sticking......
Go Fish, Concentration, War, Match 'em are some traditional games but you can make your own form. Once they know how to play, it is off to the races. Even include some form of reward for winners if possible...
DD |
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icnelly
Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Location: Bucheon
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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| ddeubel wrote: |
As Bear mentioned, flashcards are a MUST. But still he / she doesn't go far enough or make the game "language" oriented.
All vocabulary should be taught through grammatical structure! Meaning, verbs, verbs, verbs and more verbs. They are the fly paper and you won't catch any flies (vocab) unless you have it.
So many teachers spend so much time just focusing on words, independent memorization. This is so slow and tedious for learning. Running up to a board, slapping a picture or just repeating a flashed card name won't do it either....
Spend time teaching students how to play flash card games. Easy to print sets by opening a powerpoint (I have many , 1,000s of slides all nicely formatted from mes-english on my site, go and scroll through presentations and look for English for Everyone or Super Vocabulary), open the powerpoint and then select print preview. Then select 6 slides / page. Print the set (Family / actions / classroom etc...). Laminate if possible.
After this teach the games first whole class and then they can play in groups/pairs. Don't make the groups too large or they will have too much time doing nothing. So many games, too many to describe here but structure each game around a target language structure, ex. I like to eat (food). Students are using real language and by inserting the vocab, the flies are sticking......
Go Fish, Concentration, War, Match 'em are some traditional games but you can make your own form. Once they know how to play, it is off to the races. Even include some form of reward for winners if possible...
DD |
I see what you're saying (I think), but I tend to teach vocabulary as an addition to the primary language focus (like teaching house, school, hospital for a lesson plan on directions), and I guess what I'm thinking is when teaching vocabulary as a supplement to the primary language focus, perhaps it's easier to run into the lack of language centered activities... What do you think of that?
Language oriented; you mean providing the students more time to use the language and vocabulary over just isolated practice? Have any other ways to implement that?
For vocabulary I:
make vocab sequences (5 words in a specific order), and make sing songy rhythmic ways of saying them, and then have the Ss try and mimic/keep up. (this one is not language centered, but I think it serves a purpose, and is usually very quick; do you think it can still be useful despite it's nature?)
using the same sequence have one Student come up and class their eyes and then take a picture or 2 away, and the S has to find out which ones you took.
Hide the flashcards from the sequence with Ss around the room and have one S go around asking for it and trying to find it.
Hot seat: pick a student to sit with their back to the board and put one of the vocab words on the board. The other Ss must help the student in the hot seat say the word; they do this by giving hints, acting, etc.
Writing sprints: focusing on spelling the word, or maybe just writing out the capital and lowercase letter for the word. bank = Bb. I use the classroom counter from Ddeubel's site for this one. Start a sheet of paper at 1 end and have it circle through your teams until the time runs out. Don't do this too long though; I mean I only time them for 2-3 minutes. It's quick, competitive, and the kids tend to enjoy it. |
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Horangi Munshin
Joined: 06 Apr 2003
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| icnelly wrote: |
Hot seat: pick a student to sit with their back to the board and put one of the vocab words on the board. The other Ss must help the student in the hot seat say the word; they do this by giving hints, acting, etc.
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I tried Hot seat last week with middle school students. Some of the students provided interesting hints. One that sticks in my mind is.
"This is a B-boy technique" ??? The target vocab was windmill.  |
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Jordaning
Joined: 16 Oct 2006
Location: KOREA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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Believe it or not "Go Fish" works great.
I laminate 52 cards (sets of four) with the pictures of different volcabualry words on them. For different levels I use bigger words.
Just make sure you are strict and make them say "do you have any_______?"
They especially love stealing the cards from the teacher. |
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Horangi Munshin
Joined: 06 Apr 2003
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Jordaning wrote: |
Believe it or not "Go Fish" works great.
I laminate 52 cards (sets of four) with the pictures of different volcabualry words on them. For different levels I use bigger words.
Just make sure you are strict and make them say "do you have any_______?"
They especially love stealing the cards from the teacher. |
Most of my students love Go Fish too. I got them doing daily activities. "Do you take a shower everyday?" etc. It produced some laughs! |
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SHANE02
Joined: 04 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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| ddeubel wrote: |
As Bear mentioned, flashcards are a MUST. But still he / she doesn't go far enough or make the game "language" oriented.
All vocabulary should be taught through grammatical structure! Meaning, verbs, verbs, verbs and more verbs. They are the fly paper and you won't catch any flies (vocab) unless you have it.
So many teachers spend so much time just focusing on words, independent memorization. This is so slow and tedious for learning. Running up to a board, slapping a picture or just repeating a flashed card name won't do it either....
Spend time teaching students how to play flash card games. Easy to print sets by opening a powerpoint (I have many , 1,000s of slides all nicely formatted from mes-english on my site, go and scroll through presentations and look for English for Everyone or Super Vocabulary), open the powerpoint and then select print preview. Then select 6 slides / page. Print the set (Family / actions / classroom etc...). Laminate if possible.
After this teach the games first whole class and then they can play in groups/pairs. Don't make the groups too large or they will have too much time doing nothing. So many games, too many to describe here but structure each game around a target language structure, ex. I like to eat (food). Students are using real language and by inserting the vocab, the flies are sticking......
Go Fish, Concentration, War, Match 'em are some traditional games but you can make your own form. Once they know how to play, it is off to the races. Even include some form of reward for winners if possible...
DD |
Great website..thanks so much |
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thu_tinh
Joined: 27 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 5:32 am Post subject: |
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thanks for the suggestions.
it's a 3rd grade middle school class. last time i did vocabulary games with them it kind of bombed. i did the unscrabble game my friend recommended from the mes-english website. my lower levels liked it but my 3rd graders didn't so i really don't know what to do with them most of the time. |
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mrsquirrel
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2007 6:52 am Post subject: |
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I tried that memory game with a class on Friday.
We created a list of camping equipment that they would take on the board.
I'm going camping and I'm going to take......
Student number 40 was sitting at the back of the class looking terrified as the list got bigger and bigger.
Up to that point all the other kids had kicked in and helped each other but when it got to him they all just started laughing and looked at him.
Gave it a go though. Remembered more than I would have. |
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