Try These Spelling Games

 Dice Domination

Divide the class into two teams.

The teams take turns rolling the die.  

The team members take turns writing down the number of spelling words rolled on the die. 

For example, a "two" on the die means that the team can write down two spelling words.

The team only gets credit for words written down correctly.

The spokesperson can ask the team for help.

Play continues until all spelling words have been recorded correctly OR the designated number of rounds assigned by the teacher.

Here Comes the Judge!

One student goes out into the hall where they cannot see the white board.  The teacher assigns another student to go up to the board.  That student will write two words on the board assigned by the teacher.  When the "judge" comes back into the room, they have to say whether the words are correct or not and who wrote them. 

Pumpkin Day Videos

 Sci Show Kids- How do pumpkins get so big?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS78VECjEaw

Fall Brain Break

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TvgGvlNS3c

Two Review Games for Any Subject

Better Baseball

You will need:

Two baseball diamonds drawn on the board

A cup with 30 cards:

6 outs

6 home runs

6 single

6 doubles

6 triples

Each student is given a review question to answer. If question is answered correctly, the student's battery does the following:

Out- board is cleared

Single- move one base

Double- move two bases 

Triple- move two bases

Home Run- automatic 1 point score, if a battery is on a base, that person scores too

*Every time a student hits first base,  1 point is scored.  After each student has a turn, the highest score wins.

Walk the Plank

You will need:

Painter's Tape

A cup with 40 cards:

10 move up one space

5 move back one space

10 move up two spaces

5 move back two spaces

10 change player

Divide the class into two teams.  Make 10 tape lines per team from back of the room to front of the room.  Each team picks a representative to walk the plank.  This person starts on the first line.  *Note: if teams struggle with choosing a representative, teacher can assist by pulling sticks, having students pick a number, etc.  Teams take turns answering review questions.  If question answers are correct, students pull cards and follow directions.  First team to get to the front of the classroom wins.

Scripture Memory Strategies

 1.  "Scissor Scripture"

Cut up the Bible verse.  Put it back in order and glue it on a piece of construction paper.

2. "Scripture Circle"

Put the children in a circle.  Each child says a word at a time until the Bible verse is completed.

3.  "Memory Mix Up"

Write one or two words of the verse on construction paper.  Mix up the words.  Have the children put the words in order.  

4.  "Cover It"

Write the Bible verse on the whiteboard.  Cover one or two words.  Have the children identify the word or words covered up.

5.  "Move It or Lose It"

Come up with motions for each word or couple of words of the verse.

6.  "Erase the Verse"

Write the verse on the board.  Erase one word.  Say the verse.  Erase two words.  Say the verse.  Continue until all words are gone and the children can say the entire verse.

7.  "Paper Puzzle"

Write the Bible verse on a large sheet of chart or poster paper.  Cut up the verse into puzzle pieces.  Distribute the pieces.  Have the children put the verse back together.  

8.  "Memory Verse Relay"

Put the children in a line.  Write the first word of the verse on the board.  The first child in line writes the second verse and so on until the verse is completed.  Children may need to start over if the verse is long.  If a child does not know the word, then he/she will sit down.  

9.  "Walking Down Memory Lane"

Write the Bible verse on pieces of construction paper.  The children will put them in order.  Then, one or two at a time walk down the "memory lane" saying the verse.  

10.  "Treasure Hunt"

Hide the words of the verse around the room.  Children will find the words of the verse and then put them in order.  

11.  "Echo the Verse"

Teacher says a word or a phrase and children repeat it.

12.  "Guess the Verse"

Teacher writes blanks on the board, one for each word of the verse.  Teams go back and forth guessing words that might be in the verse until all words in the verse are on the board.  

13.  "Bible Verse Showdown"

Two kids stand back to back.  At the count of three, the children turn around.  Each one tries to say the verse.  The one who says the most words correct wins.  The winner now stands back to back with another child.  Children continue the challenge until only one child is left. 

14.  "Bible Verse Pass"

Students pass an object around the circle saying a word as they pass.  If a student cannot say a word or says it incorrectly, he/she is out!

15.  "Draw the Verse"

Draw a picture connected with the verse.  Write the verse in the picture.  

Oral Reading Techniques

 Oral Reading is good for children.  However, the traditional "Round Robin" reading is an outdated strategy.  Here are some oral reading strategies to try:

1)  "All Boys" or "All Girls"- Have all boys or all girls choral read a passage

2)  "Teacher Read and Stop"- The teacher starts reading a sentence, then stops at a random point.  The students read until they get to an ending punctuation mark.

3)  "Partner Read"- Have students read to each other in pairs.

4)  "Silent Reading"- Give students a short passage to read silently.  Make sure to give them a purpose for reading before they start (question, vocabulary word, strategy to use, etc.)

5)  "Echo Reading"- The teacher reads, the class repeats.

6)  "Table Read"- Students at a certain table read aloud together.  

7) "Audio or Video Read"- Have students listen and follow along to an audio or video recording of the text.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Links

 Here are some links for a unit on the Macy's Parade!

Parade Brain Break

Balloons Over Broadway Read Aloud Video

How Macy's Parade Balloons Are Made

How Macy's Balloons Come to Life (Grinch Balloon)

Turkey Videos

Here are some "teacher tested" videos about turkeys:

Informational Videos:

Turkey Facts 1

Turkey Facts 2

Turkey Facts 3

Turkey Facts 4

Songs:

Turkey Hokey Pokey

Turkey Stop

Turkey Run Brain Break

Turkey Dance Freeze

Musical Main Idea

A fun way to teach main idea is by using songs from famous movies, especially Disney Movies!  You can have the students list the main idea and supporting details using visuals and lyrics from the music videos.  

Here are some of my favorite songs to use:

"Hakuna Matata"- The Lion King

Hakuna Matata

"I Wanna Be LIke You"- The Jungle Book

I Wanna Be Like You

"Everybody Wants to Be a Cat"- Aristocats

Everybody Wants to Be a Cat

"Go The Distance"- Hercules

Go the Distance

"You've Got a Friend in Me"- Toy Story

You've Got a Friend in Me

"Movin' Right Along"- Muppets

Movin' Right Along

"I Love to Laugh"- Mary Poppins

I Love to Laugh

"Toot Sweets"- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Toot Sweets

"Prince Ali"- Aladdin

Prince Ali

"Be Our Guest"- Beauty and the Beast

Be Our Guest

"Oo De Lally"- Robin Hood

Oo De Lally

"There's Room for Everyone In This World"- Pete's Dragon

There's Room For Everyone In This World

"When You Believe"- The Prince of Egypt

When You Believe

"Under the Sea"- The Little Mermaid

Under the Sea

"Let it Go"- Frozen

Let it Go

"Hi Diddle Dee Dee"- Pinocchio

Hi Diddle Dee Dee

"We're All in this Together"- High School Musical

We're All in this Together

"Jolly Holiday"- Mary Poppins

Jolly Holiday

"There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow"- Carousel of Progress

There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

Cursive Handwriting Generator

 Great for generating name worksheets and extra practice!

Cursive Handwriting Generator

Even More Spelling Games

 Hidden Turkey or Pumpkin Game

Use a pocket chart.  Divide the class into two teams.  Write numbers 1-20 on cards.  Behind 15 of the cards will be spelling words.  Behind 5 of the cards will be pumpkins or turkeys.  Students take turns picking numbers.  If the student picks a word, they must spell the word correctly to keep the word.  If they get a hidden turkey or pumpkin, they lose all of their cards.  The team with the most cards at the end wins.

Word Scramble

Divide the class into two teams.  Team one comes up to the board with dry erase boards. Write the letters for a spelling word on the dry erase boards.  Let team two see the word spelled correctly.  Then, mix up the letters.  Team two comes up and rearranges the letters to make a word.  Then, team one does the same thing.  The team who rearranges the word the quickest gets a point.  Play continues until all words have been spelled. 

Bingo

Students write spelling words on blank Bingo cards.  Teacher spells each word out loud, students echo the spelling back and cover the word.  Play continues until someone has 4 in a row.  That person must say "Bingo," then read and spell each word to win.

Headbands

Have a student sit with his/her back facing the board.  He or she can have a dry erase board and marker to help as they play.  The teacher writes a spelling word on the board.  The student can then call on other students to give clue.  The student wins if they can correctly guess the word, read the word, and spell the word.  

Spelling Express

Lay out a long piece of bulletin board paper on the Floor.  Label it with your spelling patterns (ex: -ar, -ea).  Make a ramp out of a small stool and a piece of cardboard.  Students take turns pushing cars down the ramp.  Students will then be given a word to spell based on the closest spelling pattern to their car.  Play continues until each student has a turn.

 

More Spelling Games

 Catch It!  

Teacher divides the class into two teams.  

First team comes up to the front of the room and stands in a circle.  

Teacher sets the timer for one minute.

Teacher calls out a word. Students pass the ball around the circle saying letters in the word.  If an incorrect letter is said, or the ball is dropped, the team's turn is over.

The teacher counts how many words the team spelled correctly during that round, and that is the team's score.

Play continues until all spelling words have been used.

Hot Potato

Class sits in a circle.  Teacher plays music.  Students pass around an object.  When music stops, the person holding the object must spell a spelling word.  Correct- student stays in, Incorrect- student gets out; Continue until all spelling words have been used or all students are out.

Disappearing Spider

This game is similar to "hangman," but played in the opposite manner.  Teacher divides the class into two teams.  Teacher draws two "spiders" on the board with 15 body parts each.  Teacher says a spelling word, first person on the team spells the word.  If students get the word correct, then they can "erase" a body part on the other team's spider.  Teams continue taking turns until one team's spider has "disappeared.  

Kaboom

Teacher Prep- at least two popsicle sticks per student labeled with spelling words.  For every five words, make a popsicle stick labeled "Kaboom."  Students sit in a circle.  Students go around the circle drawing sticks.  If a stick with a word is pulled, the student has to spell the word without looking at the stick.  If the word is spelled correctly, the student keeps the stick.  If "kaboom" is drawn, all of the student's sticks go back in the cup.  Play continues until all sticks have been drawn.  The student with the most sticks at the end of the game wins.

Spelling Bee

One student is the "bee" and "buzzes" around the room while the students say, "Buzz, Buzz, Spelling Bee, Spell Your Word, But Don't Catch Me!"  

The "bee" stops behind a desk.  

The teacher gives the student in the desk a word to spell.  

If the student spells it correctly, he/she gets to be the bee.

If the word is spelled incorrectly, the student is out.

Play continues until all words have been used OR all students are "out."

Words Around the Room

Teacher writes spelling words on index cards and tapes them on the wall around the room.  Students walk around the room with clipboards writing down all of the words on the wall.  The first person to find all words and spell them correctly on his/her clipboard is the winner.  

A New Game Tool

I tried a new game tool in my classroom today- Slides with Friends.  It is super easy to set up, and super fun!  You will need a "teacher computer" and at least one device per group of students.  Students review content by answering multiple choice or short answer questions.  There are options for music, graphics, emojis, and more!  Try it out!

https://slideswith.com/

 

Easy Review Games for Any Subject

 Dice Game:

Materials Needed: Die- any color, size, etc.  Ask a team or student a question.  If the team or student answers correctly, they roll the die.  The team or student earns the number of points on the die.  Play can be continued for an extended amount of time.  

Lego Game:

Materials Needed for this Game: Legos

Give each student or team a question.  If the team or student answers correctly, they receive a lego.  Play can continue for an extended amount of time.  At the end of the game, the team can build something with their legos.

Un-Wheel of Fortune: 

This game is like Wheel of Fortune, but without the wheel.  Put a phrase or word on the board for the students to solve.  Divide the class into to teams, going back and forth asking questions between the teams.  Points work as follows: If the team gets a question correct, they can guess a letter.  Students get a point for each letter in the word/phrase.  After guessing a correct letter, students have the opportunity to guess the phrase or word.  Play continues until all phrases or words have been used.  

Fly Swatters:

Materials needed: Fly Swatters

The teacher writes a number of words or phrases on the board.  Students are given clues for the words or phrases.  The students guess the answer by "swatting" the word or phrase on the board.  

Headbands:

Materials: Index Cards, Headbands are optional

Teacher or students give clues for the word or phrase on the headband.  Student tries to guess.  

Connect Four

Materials: 16 sticky notes (4 x 4)

Dry Erase Board

Write spelling words, vocab words, whatever, on the back of the sticky notes.  Write numbers on the front.  Student picks a number and has to either spell the word, define the vocab word, etc.  If the student gets four in a row, then they win the game.

Disappearing Words

Coffee Filters, Markers, Spray Bottle

Write words on coffee filters.  If the student is able to read, define, etc. the word, then they can make it disappear by spraying it with a spray bottle.

Cursive Handwriting Shorts

 Cursive Letter Shorts Playlist

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNQasspO421xXQimWNqUXhyyUJDSbE4Zq

These are also great video shorts~ "Pencil Pete!"

https://www.jjmdesigns.com/videos/pencil-petes-cursive-writing-videos/