Recommended Level: Elementary grade 3

Lucky Dice

Description

Students are in groups of 4. Each student is assigned a number 1-4.

ALT/HRT sets a timer and calls the target English. When the timer sounds, the ALT/HRT rolls a die. If a 1 is rolled, then all students numbered 1 get 1 point. If a 2 is rolled, then all students numbered 2 get 1 point. If a 3 is rolled, then all students numbered 3 get 1 point. If a 4 is rolled, then all students numbered 4 get 1 point.

If a 5 is rolled, all students get 1 point. If a 6 is rolled, all students lose 1 point.

Notes

The first time I played this we used a spinning wheel instead of a die which also worked well.

Timer Dice

Description

STS make groups and get a set of cards. Each group picks 3 cards. At the start, all cards are worth 3 points. The STS repeat the HRT/ALT as they call out the vocabulary until the timer goes off. The HRT/ALT then rolls a dice. The number from the dice becomes how many points the last card that was called is worth. After 6 rounds, the game is finished and the groups see how many points their 3 cards are worth in total.

Notes

  • The number of cards each group picks will depend on how many total cards there are in the set. The more cards in total, the more cards the students should pick at the start of the round (a good amount is roughly 50%).
  • The amount of cards picked can change each round to add a sense of development in the game.

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Card Battle

Description

  • Students get pairs and a set of cards. Split the cards evenly between them, leaving one out (kept secret!). Students can see their own cards, but are secret from their pair.
  • The teacher gives values 1-9 to each card on the board. Higher cards win, except a 1 will beat a 9.
  • Janken. The winner asks the question, and loser answer with any of their cards. Loser then asks the question, and the winner answers with a card.
  • The card with the higher value wins, and that student gets 1 point.
  • Check points and switch pairs every few minutes.

Notes

  • With multiple sets of cards this could be done with a group, although I haven’t tried it.
  • You could do this with just the answer as well.
  • 1 beats 9 so the 9 card isn’t too strong. Feel free to experiment with different values and rules to make it more difficult/strategic. 
  • Inspired by the board game Stratego.

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Quick Race

Description

The class is divided into 3 groups, with flashcards divided evenly and assigned to each group. A ‘starting line’ is drawn on one end of the board and a ‘finish line’ on the other, with 8 spaces between. Each group is assigned a magnet which is placed on the starting line. The students repeat the target English with the teacher until the time is up. The teacher then rolls a dice. Whichever group was assigned the flashcard that was last called moves forward as many spaces as was rolled. The first group to cross the finish lines wins!

Dice Path

Description

Flashcards are placed in a row, and positive and negative numbers are written randomly above each of them (between -3 and +3). A magnet is placed over the first card, as the class’s ‘ohajiki’. Students repeat the teacher as they call out the target English within a time limit. When the timer goes off, the teacher rolls a dice. Whatever number is rolled, the magnet is moved forward that many spaces. Depending on the number that is above the card they land on, points are added to or subtracted from the class’s score. If the number rolled moves the magnet beyond the last card in the row, move back to the first space and continue.

Search Game

Description

The students put all their cards face down. The teacher calls out the target English and the students repeat, until a timer goes off. The last card that was called is the key word. Students each pick one card and turn it over when the teacher says ‘go’. If a student turns over a card that matches the key word, they get one point. If no one gets the matching card, each student picks another card and turns it over when the teacher says ‘go’ again, until the card is found. They then shuffle the cards face down and start the next round.

Notes

  • An important point to this game is you don’t want students racing to turn over cards, as that will make things messy and disorganised (and unfair). Make sure that students wait for you to say ‘go’ before turning over one single card. You’ll need to say ‘go’ as many times it would take for each group to turn over every card, even if some groups find it on the first or second try.
  • The size of groups will depend on the number of cards you have in each set. For example, if you have 6 cards, it makes sense to play in pairs as this would give both players 3 chances to find the keyword. If you have 9 cards, playing in groups of 3 also gives each player 3 chances.
  • If you have a number of cards that doesn’t divide evenly between the students playing (e.g. prime numbers where the number isn’t equal to the number of students playing), one or more cards will not be turned over in a round. For example, if there are 7 cards and students are playing in pairs, after 3 chances to find the keyword there will be one card left. If this left over card is the keyword, then no one wins a point for that round.

Destiny Game

Description

Students make groups and pick two cards, leaving the rest face down. The teacher calls out the target English and the students repeat, until a timer goes off. If one of the cards they picked matches the last target English that was called, they can turn it over. This continues until the first group (or groups) can turn over both of their cards and win. For round two, they pick three cards, round three they pick four cards, and so on.

Quick Acchi Muite Hoi!

Description

Students repeat the target English until the timer goes off. The teacher then counts to 3 and everyone looks either up, left, right, or down at once. If a student looks in the same direction that the teacher picked, they lose that round.

Quick X and O

Description

Draw a 3×3 noughts and crosses/tic-tac-toe board. Label each square from A-I. Set the timer for ~30 seconds, and repeat the target English until the time is up. The teacher then picks one of the spaces (referencing the letter in that square) and marks it with an ‘O’. A random student then picks a space, which the teacher marks with an ‘X’. For the second round onwards, toss a coin or roll a dice to see who goes first out of the teacher or students. If either the teacher or the students can get three of their ‘O’ or ‘X’ marks in a row, they win. If there are no spaces left at the end, it’s a draw. 

Notes

  • This game will last between 3 and 5 rounds, depending on when one team wins.
  • It’s best for the teacher to not pick the centre space first, as better to give the students a chance to pick it to have an advantage.

Teacher Battle

Description

The students repeat the target English with the teacher until the timer goes off. A dice is then rolled two times, once for the class and once for the teacher. This continues each round and each score is added to that ‘team’s’ total. The ‘team’ with the highest score at the end is the winner.

Notes

Alternatively, you could roll the dice once each round, the first round going to the class’s score and the second round to the teachers, and so on. However this way you would need to do an even number of rounds for the game to be ‘fair’.

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