How to deal with a disruptive student

We have all had that one student. The one who is bright and enthusiastic, but is so energetic that s/he can’t sit still or stop talking for more than a millisecond at a time. The traditional teacher-fronted classroom is a real challenge for them, and I am sure that they get more than their fair share … Continue reading →

How to Make Flashcard Drills Exciting

(Note: tips for adjusting this activity for a large class is at the end of the post.) Sometimes there is just no way to get around doing flashcard drills, but that is no reason why you can’t inject a little fun into the activity! First of all, if you are not already using the 1-2-3 incentive technique then … Continue reading →

Better Than Hot Potato: SWEET Potato

Hot Potato is always a good stand-by game for practicing all kinds of stuff. You know that game, where you pass around a ball until the music stops, and then whoever is holding the ball is out? Hot Potato is great for language learning because you can get the whole group engaged while everyone is hearing … Continue reading →

Using dice as a randomizer

If you’ve been using the classroom management game I wrote about before, then you’ll probably be needing some sort of system to call on students randomly. This will help you avoid disappointing the students when you don’t choose them, and no one will be able to accuse you of favoritism. If you have a smart … Continue reading →

My new behavior management game

I have a class of 1st-3rd graders, and I have often struggled with motivation techniques. They absolutely LOVE any kind of point system, but I never really found one I liked because: the more advanced kids tend to dominate the class, and the newer/younger students feel overwhelmed the kids aren’t really mature enough to handle … Continue reading →

More “action” cards for Anticipation flash card games

So you’ve played Anticipation, Anticipation Plus, and Anticipation Plus Jr. with your classes, but you’re still looking for ways to keep things fresh? Here are some ideas for different “action” cards that keep the game new and exciting every time. 1) Silly pose cards These can be picture cards, but they can also be blank … Continue reading →

Anticipation Plus: My most popular flash card game to play with older kids

This one will take a few minutes to prepare, but it is SO worth it to see the amount of enthusiasm you’ll get from the kids. You will need: your flashcards several blank flashcards of the same size pom poms, jacks, or other small objects in different colors The game is basically “Anticipation” but with … Continue reading →

8 Basic Flashcard Activities for Kids (+ variations!)

Flashcards can be helpful for beefing up vocabulary, but it’s tough to come up with new and exciting activities to do in every lesson. Here is a set of 8 flashcard activities you can put in the rotation so the kids don’t get bored: Flashcard Activities for passive recognition Use this type when you are … Continue reading →

Alphabet Awareness Game: Hot Potato

This game can be adjusted to various levels and age groups. The basic idea is as follows: Sit in a circle. Play music that ends within a minute (I recommend the Jeopardy theme song). Throw a beanbag to one student and say a letter of the alphabet. The student catches the beanbag and says the … Continue reading →

Flashcard Game: 3 Card Monte

This activity is good for introducing just 3-6 new cards. It works best with kids 3 and over. Lay out your new cards. Say the target word/phrase as you lay each card down, face up. One by one, say the word/phrase and turn over the cards until all are face down. Pretend to “review” one … Continue reading →