CLASS MANAGEMENT

Hands Up!

In your first class teach your Ss that whenever you shout out "Hands Up!" they must instantly stop whatever they are doing, put their hands up in the air and remain perfectly still and silent. They can only put their hands down again when T say "Hands down". You can then use this technique any time your Ss are getting a bit noisy or you need to get everyone's attention.

Silent Ball

If the Ss are being loud and off task play this game with them. It really works and they love to play it. Have all the Ss stand up and give one student a ball (make sure it is soft). Have the students toss the ball to each other without saying a word. Any student who drops the ball or talks must sit down. (Submitted by Samantha Marchessault)

MY NAME IS

1. Name Game

Good for a first class. Sit the Ss in a circle. Point to yourself and say your name "I'm Jason". Then Ss say their names around the circle.

2. Guess who said your name

One student stands with their back to the class, another student calls out his name. The one with their back to the group turns around and guesses who said it.

They get 3 chances.

3. Name Memorizing Game

Have children sit in a circle. Start by saying "my name is.." and then answer a question about yourself. For example "My name is Jo and I like the color Purple." The next person says "This is Jo and he likes the color purple and my name is Rose and I am 8 years old." The next person says "That is Jo he likes Purple, this is Rose and she is 8 and I am Jeremy and I like the color blue." It's a chain and the kids have to repeat what the last people have said about themselves. It's really hard to be the last person in the circle! (Submitted by Danielle)

Easier: instead of answering a questions, students say their name and a word starting with the same letter.

4. Pass your name

Everyone sitting in a circle or standing up. On the first clap, you say your name, and on the second clap you say the name of someone in the circle. Then they say their own name on the first clap and the name of another student on the second, and so it goes on.

When they have got the idea, use different lexical sets. For example, everyone says their favourite sport first then use these to play the game instead of saying names.

You can also use flashcards or real objects such as fruit and vegetables or classroom objects. Place a flashcard or an object by each student’s feet and they use these as they do the claps and pass the turn.

NUMBER GAMES

1. Number Group Game

Play some music and have your Ss walk around the classroom.  Stop the music suddenly and call out a number.  The Ss must quickly get together in a group of that number.  Any Ss who didn't make it sit out until the next round.

2. Number Codes

Number mini flashcards (from 0 to 9) for each student. Students place the numbers in a line as you call them out.  This also works well for phone numbers.

3. Bingo

Prepare enough bingo grids for all of your students and numbers on pieces of paper. The winner is the first to either get a line or full house.

4. Number Board Scramble

T writes numbers on the blackboard in a scramble here and there, but low enough that the Ss can reach. Have two teams and call out a number. The person that is able to find and circle it first wins a point for their team. Even more challenging- have four teams all looking for the same number. The kids just love it. (Submitted by Susie).

5. Buzz

A counting game. Have the Ss sit in a circle. The Ss pass the ball around while counting (1, 2, 3, etc.). When the number reaches 7, any number with a 7 and any multiple of 7 the S must say buzz.

6. Battleship

Every student has a Battleships board or just get them to copy a board in their notebook.Write on the board a group of words you want your students to practise. Students choose some of them to write anywhere they like on their battleship board.

Students work in pairs facing one another. They ask questions to find the words. E.g. ‘E, 40. If there is a letter in it. they get a ‘HIT’ and they are said this letter they found. If there was nothing in that square they get a ‘MISS’ and carry on. The first student to find all the words is the winner 

7. Blind Toss

Students sit down in a circle. Place a mat on the floor with numbers and a flashcard (target vocabulary) on each number. Taking turns, each S gets blindfolded and throw a ball to hit a number. S/he must call out that word the same number of times as the number indicates. For example: 4-dog, then "Dog, Dog, Dog, Dog! and the S gets the equal points (4). At the end, the S with the most points wins! Good for memorizing vocabulary since they are repeating words. (Submitted by Salvador Domingo).

COLORS GAMES

1. Color Game

Put colors flashcards around a circle. Play some music and have the children march around the circle. Then, stop the music and all the children must sit down next to a color. Pick a color and sing (to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"): "Who's beside the color (insert name of color)? Please stand up, if it's you." At that point, the child next to the color mentioned stands up.

2. Miniflashcards activities

T calls a color (e.g. "Blue") and the Ss hold it up.

T calls a color and an action (e.g. "Blue - Jump!"). Students take the color and do the action.

Make a line of papers with the Rainbow Song - as the song is played Ss put the papers in the same order as the song. Then, listen to the song and touch.

3. High Five

Give each S a color and make sure at least 2 Ss have the same color. T says "Blues, high 5!" and the kids with blue paper have to find each other and High 5.

4. Color Circles (Touch it and color it)

Pin circles on different walls in the classroom. Model the activity: Say "Blue", take a blue crayon, walk over to one circle and color a small part of the circle. Do this for each color you plan to teach. Then, say a color ("Blue") to a S and s/he should pick up the blue crayon and go over to the circle you colored in blue. Let him/her color it a little and then call him/her back. Continue with other Ss.

5. Touch Color

T says "I spy with my little eye something that is red". Ss tocuh something with this color in the class and stay there.

WEATHER GAMES

1. Today's Weather Board

Ss draw or color one set of weather picture cards for the classroom (rainy, windy, snowy, sunny, hot, warm, cold, etc.) with the written word on the cards. Before the next class laminate the cards as you will need to use them every week. Each lesson, Ss have to take out the cards which best describe the weather and pin them to the board. The board could also have days of the week cards, months of the year cards, date cards, etc. which the Ss pin to the board each class.

2. Weather Memory Game

Print out two sets of weather flashcards per group. Mix them up and lay face-down on the table. Each S can turn over two cards to try and find the same two weather pictures. If the two pictures are different the S turns them back over again. However, if the pictures are the same he/she keeps the cards. The player with the most cards at the end is the winner.

MONTHS GAMES

1. Months March

Everyone march up and down. Teacher stands at one end of the room, students line up beside the teacher. Say "Go!" and march together. Then start calling out the months ("January", "February", etc.). Ss repeat each month (T:"January" Ss:"January").

March at different paces, first slow, the fast, the running. At certain points, shouts "Stop!". Everyone must stop and be EXACTLY in line. If someone is out, he or she goes to the back of the line. After a few lessons, get the students to chant together as they march without chorus..

TELLING THE TIME GAMES

1. What Time Is It Mr. Wolf

Students stand in a circle around Mr. Wolf (either T or S), who is blind-folded. The Students ask 'What time is it Mr. Wolf?'. If Mr. Wolf says 'It's 4 o'clock,' then the Ss march in a circle 4 steps. If Mr. Wolf says, 'It's dinner time,' then he or she grabs the S who is in front of him. And that Student becomes Mr. Wolf.

2. Clock fun

Have all of your Ss make a clock. With this you can do some simple activities:1. Follow the teacher: T says a time and moves the clock hands to that time. Ss copy the T.2. Listen to the teacher or partner: T says a time and Ss have to move the clock arms to that time. Then the teacher reveals his/her clock and the Ss can see if they were correct.3. Time questions: T (or in pairs Ss) ask questions. E.g. What time do you dance? move clock

ALPHABET GAMES

1. I spy

Say "I spy with my little eye something that begins with B". Students try to guess the object (e.g. "book").

2. Simon Says Spell

Play Simon Says saying only the first letter of objects in the classroom (e.g. "Simon says touch something beginning with B"). Students touch objects beginning with that letter (e.g. ball, boot, back, board, bin, etc.). If a S makes a mistake s/he has to sit out until the next round.

3. Letters Spell Race

Students in pairs or small groups. Each group has alphabet mini-flashcards. (all the letters of the alphabet). Shout a word, students get the letters in order to spell that word (e.g. r-e-d, f-i-n-g-e-r, etc.). Only use words that don't have more than one of the same letter. The group that gets the word first wins 1 point.

4. Spelling Bee

In pairs. Give students some words to spell. They spell the Word to their mate. If they spell and write the Word propperly they get one point.

5. Stop the Bus

Students in pairs with a pencil and paper to play this game. The Teacher writes a letter on the board, and shouts, "Start the bus." The students then write down as many words beginning with this letter as they can think of. When one S shouts out, "Stop the bus!" everyone has to stop writing. The students all get one point for each word. The Students who has the most words wins an extra 2 point.

6. Unscramble

Write different words in the blackboard. In teams they prepare some words in unscramble way. In turns they write the Word in the blackboard, the other teams run to be the first in guessing and writing the Word.