For a couple of weeks now, I've been leeching this site for good games to play with my little ones, so I thought maybe it's time to give something back...
The following games have been tested in different chinese classes with students ranging between about 8 and 13 years old and class sizes ranging from 4 students to 60 (private and public schools). (I do not take credit for these games, most of them are games I learned from the teacher community or adapted from games I found through the years)
1. The two finger point: lesson: teaching new words, reading+pronunciation
preparation: nothing
how to play:
Write the vocab. you want to teach them on the blackboard.
Let them stand up. When you point to a word with one finger, they have to say the word. If you point to a word with two fingers, they have to keep quiet. If they get it wrong, they have to sit down. Try to trick them by using alterning fingers, repeating two words and then switching to a third using two fingers, or alternating the finger that you use as the second pointing finger. They love this game and you get them to read all at the same time.
variation: read out the word for them before they have to repeat it, point to a word and say another one, if they just repeat what you say in stead of reading the correct word, they lose... This is to reinforce reading
2. The one armed pirate lesson: teaching new words, reading+pronunciation
preparation: nothing
for smaller classes, or divide the bigger classes in groups
how to play:
Give them a list of new words or sentences (about ten should do) and put the students in a circle. Give them a ball they should pass around. When they get the ball they should read the next word in the list and then pass it on.
Sounds dull? Use the following three rules:
-
don't pass the ball to a student standing next to you
- only use one arm
- if someone drops the ball you start from the beginning of the list again.
Objective of the game is to reach the end of a list as fast as you can. (It's great fun if you play with them...)
It will take them forever to get to the last word, 'cause they keep dropping the ball. Halfway through I switch and tell them to start with the last word and work there way to the first word, so they learn all words (put the easy ones in the middle
)
HarHarHar
3. Backward hoop
Can be used for anything you want, only one student at the time speaks though, but still... a good
timefiller.
Get a basket and a ball, when they do an english assignment correctly, let them try to put the ball in the basket, earning them a point for their team. One thing though, they have to shoot, standing with their back to the basket.
This puts an extra twist to the basketball game.
4. Back Talk Lesson:Timefiller/Writing
Put the students in one line and give the last kid in the line a word. He then has to write that word with his finger on the back of the kid standing in front of him. That student then does the same to the next in line and so on. If you divide the class in two or more lines you can have yourself a competition.
Strictly no talking allowed.
5. The substitute lesson: reading
preparation: nothing
how to play:
When reading a text, give them reading rules to spice things up. The sillier the better. E.g. Everytime you read a word with the letter a in, you have to read it twice. Everytime you have a word with an e, you have to stand up and sit down. If you have a word with an a and an e, you have to read it twice and of course stand up twice
.
You can make your own rules and combine multiple rules to increase the difficulty level for them, depending on age and skill level. Most of my 13 year olds start freaking out after 4 rules, but they know this game, most novices will start going wrong after 3.
You can of course turn this in a competition
5. The line game lesson: reading, pronunciation
preparation: nothing
how to play:
I found this little beauty somewhere on the net (maybe even here) and I love it for Chinese students, 'cause the same technique is used by chinese teachers, just not in such a relaxing atmosphere... so they know the drill and have fun 'cause they learn how good at it they can be if they just relax.
Write some words/sentences on the blackboard and divide the students into two rows, in front of the class.
Ask a student from each row to read one of the items on the blackboard, if they read it right they can go to their seat, if they read it wrong they have to go to the back of the line.
The first line with no students left wins.
My students often ask to play this game and I love it because they actually learn something (by thelmselves or with the help from their friends) Sometimes I can't hear the student in the front 'cause all the ones in the back are practising so hard.
some tips to make it more interesting:
- give them a timelimit in which they should read the item correctly (and make it a sharp time
, preferably just a little quicker then they are able to do ). this will make it into a performance competition and helps you keep up the pace so the ones in the back don't get bored.
- s-m-i-l-e and cheat
, some kids are just slower, when nobody else is listening, tell them they read well and let them sit down (not always), builds their confidence.
remember now; Teaching is a performance art.
thanks for all the good games
Ralph