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(Phonics LBUK Representative and Cambridge UK English Language Assessment)
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GAME DATABASE

No. Game Participants Aim Grade Time Instructions Tips

GENERAL TIPS FOR GAMES

- Divide the class in three or four groups. Call them group A/B/C/D… Later on, when students know more words, you can give them names as well (animals, colors,
etc.) or ask them to think of a name themselves.
- Make sure every student knows their group by repeating the group name over and over. Let them cheer when they get an extra star.
- Give every group three stars to start with. At the beginning of the lesson, remove stars for the noisiest group, until the entire class is quiet. Repeat this if they get
too noisy again.
- Don’t write all the stars yourself. Ask students to help you. You can have either one student permanently at the board or you can ask the student who won a star to
write it.
- Useful utilities in class: magnets, flashcards (not only the letters and respective words, try to get many), sticky ball, plastic hammer, extra warm-up video’s and
songs.
- After you have played a game with some students at the front of the class, repeat the words and sounds for the entire class so they stay involved with the learning
material.
- When playing a game, always start with the simplest possible version (basic game, simple words) and start by playing it with the best students. Once things go
well, you can start elaborating and inviting the weaker students.
- Smile a lot and compliment the students.
- Use positive rewards: the better students master the language items, the more chances they get to earn stars (instead of giving every student a star, no matter how
they perform). Always make students do an exercice before giving them a star! Don’t play a game ‘just for fun’.
 - Flashcards go on the board. Teacher says a word/ sentence and - Give students a ruler to hit the
flashcard. Otherwise, they
then the students have to hit the flashcard.
might hit the flashcard too hard
- Ask students not to hit it once, but to keep the ruler on the and it will drop to the floor.
Reading skill flashcard until the teacher says the next word/ sentence. Then the Alternatively, draw shapes
1. Slap the Any 5-10 min
2-3 students Listening skill teacher can say the next word/ sentence faster and faster, until under the flashcards for the
Board
one of the students makes a mistake. students to slap.
- When saying the words/ sentences, teacher says simple words/ - If everything is going well, ask
sentences first. More difficult words/ sentences can be integrated a student to say the words/
sentences instead of the
more and more as the game is going better.
teacher.

- Ask two students to come to the front of the class. They have to
stand back to back. If you can’t explain, use gestures to make
clear.
Reading Skill - After that, give each student a flashcard. Put it on their forehead
Learn New so that they can’t see the flashcard. Ask them to hold it. - When teachers says ‘Pang,
2. 1-2 5-10 min
Pang / Pang 2 students Words - After that, teacher counts to three. Every time teacher counts, Pang’ students pretend to hold
Warm-up students take one step forward. a gun.
- Then teacher says ‘Pang, pang’, and the students turn around.
Now they can see the front of the flashcard that the other student
is holding.
- The student that can read the other flashcard first is the winner.

- Draw a darts board on the board with two outer circles and one
bull’s eye.
Choose - Ask a student to the front of the class. If they can answer your
- Variation: make a paper plane
3. students to 1-3 5-10 min question correctly, they can throw the ball. Make sure every
Bull’s Eye Speaking skill for students to throw. Older
come to the student throws from the same distance, otherwise, students might
students can make their own.
front get angry at each other. Make sure they pick up the ball after they
throw and return it to the teacher.
- Outer circle is one star, inner circle two, bull’s eye three stars.
- Great game to start or end the
4. Simon Says The whole Listening Skill Any 5-10 min - Teacher gives many instructions in a short time but students only class.
class Warm-up follow the instruction when teacher begins with “Teacher - Possible instructions: stand up,
says…” Remove stars if for the group that acted out the sit down, open your book,
close your book, put away
 your book, take your book,
clap your hands, raise your
instruction. Reward the best group. hands, wave your hands, shake
your hands, one hand up, two
hands up, one hand down,
touch your nose, ear, mouth,
etc.

- Let them ‘sleep’ for a while,

before allowing them to wake
- First teach the students the words sleep / wake up, by using up. They’ll find it funny when
gestures. you wait a long time to say
- Then ask two or three students to come up front. Ask them to ‘wake up’ again.
Sleep / Wake The Whole
5. Reading Skill 1-2 5 min sleep and make sure their eyes are closed. - You can also use whole class.
up class
- Then show a flashcard with a picture or a gapped sentence to all Ask class to ‘sleep’ whilst
students, but make sure they don’t shout it out yet. Then you say another student removes a
‘wake up’ and the first student to guess the word is the winner. flashcard. Select one student
from class to guess the missing
the flashcard.

- There are also plenty of

- Draw a grid on the board with 9 boxes. Divide the class in two opportunities for other games
Choose
groups. Think of a suitable assignment according to the lesson using the grid lay-out. You can
students to Speaking skill
6. Tic-Tac-Toe Any 5-10 min material and reward the students by letting them put an X (group for example write words in
come to the Warm-up
1) or O (group 2) in the grid. First one to have three in a row is every box and let students
front
the winner. throw the ball at the words.

- Every time a student makes a mistake the teacher or another

student will hit the student on the head using the plastic hammer.
Pronunciation Students will go wild! Alternatively, you cam high-five if they
- Get a cheap plastic hammer at
7. BOINNK 2 students Speaking skill 1-2 5 min answer correct, and give them a soft touch with your hand palm
a local shop.
Warm-up on the head if they are mistaken. The advantage of the plastic
hammer is that it makes a sound.
 - Once they get this routine,
- Teacher pronounces a letter (for example, ‘u’) while putting
repeat it faster and faster. You
hands on the head, then pronounces the sound of the letter in a
Sounds and can also vary the routine, for
The whole Listening skill word (for example, /u/ in umbrella) while putting hands on the
8. Words on the 1 5 min example by creating series
class Remembering chest, then pronounces a word with that letter (for example,
Body head-legs-head or head-chest-
‘umbrella’) while putting hands on the legs.
legs-chest-head with the
accompanying word.
- Draw 5 or more question marks on the board and put flashcards
on top of them. Go over all the words with the entire class a few
times until they (almost) remember all the words.
Reading Skill
- Now the game starts, you ask two students to the front of the - Keep the class quiet enough so
9. Memory 2 students Remembering 1-2 5-10 min
class. They have to close their eyes / go to sleep so they can’t see they don’t shout the answer.
Warm-up
the board. Then remove one card and let the students guess the
missing card. First one is the winner.

- Ask min. 3, max. 6 students to line up and to make a train. Then

- If this is going well, you can
you whisper a word/ sentence into the ear of the first student.
then organize a competition by
This student will then whisper it to the following student, etc.
Chinese Speaking skill making two trains. The first
10. 3-6 students Any 5-10 min The last student has to shout the word. Make sure the students
Whispering Listening skill train that succeeds in
keep whispering and try to help and correct them the first few
whispering the word from
times so a good example is set.
front to back is the winner.

- Useful to practice animals,

Speaking skill - One student acts out the word and the other students guess. This emotions, body parts, etc.
The whole
11. Charades Learn New Any 5-10 min game and also be played with drawing instead of acting. - The students are usually shy so
class
Words they need some help getting
started.
- Invite two students to the front of the class. Students have to hold
a flashcard behind their back with the front visible for someone
behind their back.
Learn New - Two students have to face each other and try to see and shout the - Make sure their moving space
Birds with
12. 2 students Words 1-2 5 min word behind the other student. Funny because students look like is limited or else they will run
Cards
Speaking Skill birds when they try to see the flashcard behind the back of the and chase each other.
other student.
- First student to shout the correct word is the winner.
 - First start by randomly handing out 5 to 10 flashcards to students - This good revision game tests
in the class. Put it on their desk and tell them they can’t touch it and repeats the knowledge
yet. from previous classes.
Reading skill
Where is - Then you start recollecting the cards. Teacher asks: ‘Where is the - This game can also be useful
13. 5-10 students Speaking skill 1-2 5-10 min
the…? …?’ and then the students have to return the card to the teacher at to practice politeness and
Warm-up
the front of the class. Also ask students to repeat the word/ manners by saying ‘Here you
sentence and maybe ask one additional question. are’ and ‘Thank you’ when
handing over the card.
- Invite 5-10 students to the front of the class and ask them to make
- Elaboration of the game: if the
a circle. They can hold hands at first but after the circle is made
teacher shouts the ‘special
don’t allow them to hold hands.
word’/ sentence and points at
- Teacher is in the middle and shouts a word/ sentence. Then all
the student, the student still sits
the students repeat the word/ sentence. Then teacher shouts a next
down. If the student forgets,
word/ sentence, etc. Every time all the students have to repeat the
he/she also loses. But if they
word/ sentence.
do sit down, the two students
- Every time the teacher shouts a word/ sentence, he also points at
next to him/her, have to point
Repeat in Listening Skill 10-15 a student at the same time. However, it usually doesn’t matter for
14. 5-10 students Any at the sitting student and shout
circle Speaking skill min the student if the teacher points at you or not.
the special word twice, for
- The only time it matters, is when he shouts a ‘special’ word/
example “banana, banana”.
sentence that you have told them before, for example “banana” or
The last of the two neighboring
“computer” (anything related to the lesson). If the teacher shouts
students to do this, loses.
this word and points at a student at the same time, the student has
- This game is a bit complicated
to quickly sit down. It the student forgets this or if they are too
for grade 1 and 2, however still
slow, they lose and they have to go back to their seat. The last
possible if you explain step by
student standing is the winner.
step. Ask the TA for help.

- Teacher writes down a sentence but mixes the words so they are
not in the correct order.
- Students have to place them in the right order. First student to do
Fix the
this, wins. - If you do not want to write on
Order / The Whole Reading skill
15. 2-3 5-10 min - Alternatively, you can keep the right order but put a blank instead the board, you can prepare
Complete the Class Speaking skill
of some of the words. First student to complete the sentence flashcards instead.
Sentence
wins.
- Later, you can combine both: finding the right order and
completing the blank.
 - Count the words in a specific sentence and ask the same number
One word of students to the front of the class.
16. 4-8 students Speaking Skill 2-3 5 min
each - Every student has to say one word and together they form the
whole sentence. Do it faster and faster. Reward the best students.

- Alternatively, tell students to

pass around a ball. When the
music stops, student with the
ball in their hands, has to
- Play some music and tell students to stand up and dance around. answer a question. You can
Speaking Skill
Stop the The Whole When the music stops, everyone has to sit down. also pass round flashcards and
17. Listening Skill Any 5 min
music Class - Last one to sit down has to answer a question. ask ‘where is the…’ have
Warm-up
students stand up and state
name of the flashcard. For
older students have them
formulate sentences using the
words on the flashcard.

- Choose a word and write down a blank on the board for every
-
letter. Students have to guess the word letter by letter. For every
The Whole Writing Skill - Variation: For Grade 1 use a
18. Hangman 2-5 10 min incorrect letter, teacher draws one line of a man who is getting
Class Speaking Skill shark rather than a hangman.
more and more “hanged”.
Draw a shark with an open
mouth on the board and 3 or
more steps above. Use
flashcards of people or draw a
stickman and for every
incorrect answer move the
stickman/flashcard down a
step.
 Learn New - Teacher says one word. Students have to guess a word that starts
Guess the next The Whole
19. Words 2-3 5 min with the last letter of the previous word.
word Class
Speaking Skill

- You need around 3/5 pairs of flashcards for this. Hang them on
Students take Remembering the board face down. Students take turns to turn around two
- Students have to name the
20. Find the pairs 1-3 5 min flashcards when they turn them
turns Speaking Skill flashcards. If they are the same, they go off the board and student
gets one star. Go on until all flashcards are gone. around.

- If students answer a question correctly, they can throw the dice to

earn more stars. A variation are the ‘gambling dice’; if the - It is easy to make a big dice by
students take student correctly reads the sentence/word they can either receive printing some numbers and
21. Roll the dice Speaking Skill Any 5 min sticking them to a cardboard
turns 1 star or roll the dice. Numbers 1-3 correspond with the amount
box.
of stars the team will receive however, 4 is minus 1 star, 5 is
minus 2 stars and 6 is minus 3 stars.

- Variation: ‘lightening
- Reveal a flashcard very slowly. First student to guess is the flashcard’; select two students,
The Whole Speaking Skill quickly show the flashcard to
22. Slow Motion 1-2 5 min winner.
Class Warm-up the students, first to correctly
identify the flascard correctly
wins.

Speaking Skill - Students stand in two lines of 4-7 students each. Teacher shows a
Learn New flashcard to the first two students in line. First one to guess can
23. Speed lines 8-14 students 1-2 5-10 min
Words sit down. The other student has to go to the back of his/her line.
Warm-up First group to finish the line (everyone sits down) is the winner.

- You need pairs of flashcards for this. Hand out one set to some
Speaking Skill
student. When teacher shows a flashcard, the student with the
The Whole Learn New
24. Up and down 1 5-10 min same flashcard has to stand up and shout the word. Do it faster
Class Words
and faster so the students are standing up and sitting down
Warm-up
rapidly. If you are too slow, you lose a star.
 - One student makes three statements, two are true and one is false.
Two truths, The Whole Speaking skill
25. 4-5 5-10 min The class has to identify the lie. Select a representative from an
one lie Class Warm-up
opposing team to make the guess, if correct they win the point.

- This is a great game when

played in small groups. Once
a group has finished, a
- Write 5-10 categories on the board. Assign a letter e.g. ‘e’. representative can read the
The Whole Writing Skill Students must think of a word for each category that begins with words that are listed to the
26. Categories 4-5 5-10 min
Class Reading Skill that letter. class. Have all the teams read
theirs to to check whether they
have listed anything different.
- Ensure to set a time limit!

- Students must ask a series of questions to establish who/what you - You can have teams ask other
Who/what am The Whole are. Questions can only be answered with yes or no. You can teams or have whole class
27. Speaking skill Any 5 min
I? Class limit the number of questions based on the ability of your class. individually ask you.

- Similar to charades but student selects two pieces of paper. One

Verbs and The Whole - If students are unable to read
will be an emotion and the other a verb, e.g. angry swimming,
28. Speaking skill 1-3 5 min you can use small pictures
Emotions Class sad skipping etc. rather than words.

- Write the topic of the class on the board in capitals e.g.

29. Topic 5-10 students Writing skill 2-3 5 min WEATHER. Invite students to individually write another word
vertically starting with one of the letters e.g. wet.

Writing skill
30. Sentence 5-10 students Reading skill 2-3 5-10 min - Using the Learn to Read section of the book, draw 2-4 columns
Relay on the board (depending on how many teams you have), then
write 1-3/4 vertically in each column to represent each sentence.
Select a student from each team and have them run and write
sentence 1, they then run back to their team and pass the chalk to
another student who will write sentence 2 and so on. First team to
 finish all the sentences, wins.

- Two students play rock, paper, scissors, both students have to - Variation – Have a basket
then say a word/read sentence/answer a question. This allows placed in the middle between 2
both students the opportunity to win a star for their team. The students, have them say a
Speaking skill
31. Basketball 2 students Any 5 min winner can earn another star if they can successfully throw the word/read sentence/answer a
Reading skill
ball into the ‘basket’ (you can give the student that lost a stool question then they can both
upside down). throw the ball at the basket to
attempt to score a star.
- Variation – write vocab on the
- After you have taught a body movement to the class for a board. Invite a student from
word/letter/sound, invite a student up to do the body movement each team up to the front
The Whole facing the class. Teacher
32. Teacher Speaking skill 1 3 min and have the class shout out the word/letter/sound.
Class points to the vocab and class
- When a student comes up front, have the class say ‘hello acts out the body movements.
teacher’, students think it’s hilarious. First student up front to guess
vocab correctly wins a star.

- Make fish flashcards and bend the paper where the tail is.Draw
two chalk lines on the floor to mark the start and finishing line.
33. Fish 2-4 students Speaking skill 1-2 3 min
After students have correctly named the flashcards have them
race to blow the fish over the finish line.

- Draw grid on the board with vocab from the current and previous
Reading skill lessons. Students throw the sticky ball at the grid. Students then
34. Word grid 3-6 students 2-4 5-10 min
Speaking skill must formulate a sentence using that word. Award stars
according to the complexity of the sentence.
 - If you can, assign 1 team a
- Divide class into two teams (A and B or boys v girls). Select a yellow chalk and 1 teama red
few students from each team and have them line up near the chalk.
board.
- Draw a table on the board. At the top of each column write a
word that is commonly mispronounced e.g. likes, make sure you
write the word that they say instead of the correct word in
another column e.g. like. Students must identify which column
they wish to place their ‘counter’ in by saying the word. If they
Reading skill
35. Connect 4 3-6 students 2-3 5-10 min mispronounce the word, they have to put the ‘counter’ in the
Pronunciation
column that sounds closest to what they have said. E.g. if they
want to place it in the column that is titled ‘likes’ but they say
‘like’ you have to place the counter in the ‘like’ column. To win
the game you must have four ‘counters’ in a line, treat the board
as if it is the proper game, so the counters drop to the ‘bottom’
first and they must build up the counters to go higher on the
table.

- Draw a funny face on the board, and assign a number of stars to

the mouth, ears, eyes, nose and hair (some only one star, some
Students take more). After students succesfully complete an exercice related to
36. Funny Face Speaking Skill Any 5-10 min
turns the lesson, blindfold them and spin them around for three times.
After that, they can stick a magnet to the funny face on the board
and earn stars accordingly.

Speaking skill - Instead of working with a grid,

37. Guns, Bombs, Whole Class Reading Skill Any 5-10 min - Draw a grid on the board with four columns (A, B, C, D) and you can let them throw the
Angels four rows (1, 2, 3, 4). Whenever a student succesfully completes dice and assign each number to
an assignment related to the lesson material (e.g. read a sentence either a gun, bomb or angel.
or practice conversation from Learn to Speak), they can choose a
box, e.g.A2 or B1.
- You then look at a another grid you have made for yourself,
which contains a gun, bomb or angel for every box. Then
award/take away stars according to what they hit:
- Gun: steal a star from another group.
 - Bomb: lose one star.
- Angel: Win one star.

- Students climb a stairs. Every group is assigned an ‘avatar’

(prepare these in advance or use the flashcards of horse, rabbit,
fish and bird). For every completed assignment, student can
throw the dice and climb the number of stairs accordingly.
Whoever reaches the top, gets three stars.
Climb the Speaking skill
38. Whole class Any - Add some traps to it, e.g. there is a hole in some steps and if you
Stairs Reading Skill
fall, you get eaten by the monsters underneath. Similarly, if you
go to far (the number of the dice is more then the number of steps
you have to climb until the end), you fall into the deep and get
eaten by the sharks.