Crritical Th

hinking and
d Creative
e Learning
g In Children’s Engllish Classes
Presente
ed by: Marrco Brazil
For Ox
xford Teacching Workshop Series 2013

T
Two ways to
t build crritical thinnking skillss in young learner E
EFL classes s:
 Have children
c le
earn to thiink about the langua age they’ree learning.
 Incoorporate higher
h leve
el thinking skills in practice
p acctivities.

Games
G thatt support th
hinking skills
s

Activity: Thrree In A Ro
ow
Target: Any
y
Language
Materials::

Thrree In A Row
w Board
6 co
olored bottle caps (3/3
3)

How to pla
lay
Each playe
er needs th
hree pieces of
o colored b
bottle capss are numbe
ered (1-3 and
nd 4-6 respe
ectively) to
representts the targe
et language
e. To start tthe game, players
p putt their botttle caps on any of the
outside do
dots (exceptt the dot at
a the centter). Determ
mine the orrder play (R
(Rock-Scisso
ors-Paper).
First playe
yer takes hiss turn to pla
ay. He movees one of his
is bottle cap
ps to any oppen dots on the board,
answeringg the questi
tion (targett language). The second
d player tak
akes his turn
rn and doess the same.
Players ch
hoose one off his bottle
e caps to moove each turrn doing Q & A. Bottlee caps can be moved to
any open d
dots on the
he board, fo
orward, bacckward, and
d sideward. The first pplayer to get
g his/her
three botttle caps in a row; eith
her horizont
ntal, verticaal or diagona
al, wins thee game. A player
p can’tt
return to the start position
p and
d win

© Oxford University Press 2013

Maru Batsu Square

Number of players: The whole class, as a team competition.

Target Language: Any
How to play
Draw a nine-grill-square on the board and write numbers 1-9 respectively on each square. Assign
each square a question (target language) without the players knowing it. Divide the class into two
teams; one team is maru (O) and the other batsu (X). Determine who will play first. Ask the leader
of the first team (Leader 1) which square he wants;
Example: Teacher: Which square do you want?
Leader 1: Number 5, please.
Ask Leader 1, question number 5; Example “How old are you? Leader 1 can consult his team, before
giving his answer. If the answer is correct he writes the symbol of the team (0) in square number
5. It is then the turn of the other team (X). If the answer is wrong offer the question to the
other team. The first team to write three symbols in a row in straight line, horizontally, vertically
or diagonally is the winner.

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

Designed & Developed by: Marco Brazil

(iETC) Institute Of English Teaching To Children
for Oxford University Press Japan
Reference:
Mary Forehand. Bloom’s Taxonomy. Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology
Linda Elder (2001). The Miniature Guide To Critical Thinking For Children

© Oxford University Press 2013