> Mrs. O'Neill's Blog: Backspell

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Backspell


We are back to school after Spring Break and I am enjoying warmer weather. Yesterday it was around 60 F (about 16 degrees celsius). It's been hovering around freezing, for the last few weeks, so this felt like summer, albeit a Scottish one.

Many of my students are starting to ask me if we can 'go outside' for lessons. I suppose they have cabin fever after all these months. I have fond memories of sitting outside on warm days, even in secondary school. Unfortunately it's not very practical and tends to lead to a breakdown in discipline as other classes see you heading out and feel aggrieved.

Having said that, like most teachers, I love making school fun for students. It seems to me that we should build on their natural high spirits without letting up on discipline. Is that unrealistic?

Here in America a 'quiz' is actually a test and students groan when you announce one. You are testing memory in many cases, not understanding.

With this in mind I am trying to put together some genuinely enjoyable word games for end of class or Friday afternoons. Spelling bees can get a bit intense. That's why I use 'Backspell' which is easy to play and quite often has unexpected experts. Two players, five rounds. You begin with a short word -spell it backwards and the person who shouts out the correct answer gets a point. As soon as a student reaches three points you have a winner. They can then challenge someone else.

Any other tried and tested games?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My kids love Spelling Tennis: kids in pairs, each kid takes it in turn to supply the letter for a word. Sometimes they do it as a class with me.
They also love "douze" round the class. Each child can say 1,2, or 3 numbers. The object is to avoid being the one to say 12. So it might go
Child A: 1,2
Child B: 3,4,5
Child C: 6
Child D: 7,8,9
Child E: 10.11
Child F: 12!
etc.
We play it in French. Sometimes we play that if you are the one to say 12 you get to go at the end of the day, but the last one left gets a sticker. Some of them get to understand the strategy of it.
Dorothy

Liz O'Neill said...

That sounds like fun- and easy to get up and running which is what I am looking for. Thanks!

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