Some More Warm Ups

So the school year has just begun and there is a lot of notebook organizing and preliminary explanations going on. Since we're not really into the book yet that's given me some time to experiment with some warm ups. Some I got from other teachers, some I came up with myself. I'll explain how I did them and what the reaction to them was like.

One Letter
I divided the blackboard into four sections. (The students desks are usually arranged in four columns. Each column consists of two desks side by side so that makes it easy to divide the class into four groups) At the top of each section I wrote a single letter. A in one C in another S and D were the letters I started with. Then I told the kids that they had to think of as many words  that began with those letters as they could. I made the rule that they couldn't use their dictionaries or textbooks. It all had to come from their heads. I gave them three minutes to write the words on the blackboard, first one kid then the next for three minutes. At the end of three minutes I called time. Before counting the words to see which team won I read the words out loud and had the kids repeat after me. Words that were misspelled or were not words at all were crossed out and not counted.

For the second round I tried it with consonant blends: gl, gr, br like that. Because I expected it to be harder that round went for only one minute. They actually did better than I thought they would.

Some things  I noticed

I was able to correct spelling mistakes on words that I crossed out. 

Sometimes a kid would misspell a word but still come up with something meaningful.  A young man trying to spell brown came up with brawn. I was able to correct his spelling mistake and teach him a new word to forget.

The two classes I did this with enjoyed it.

It doesn't require any preparation beyond a blackboard and is easy to explain. Either by having the JTE translate or by writing on the board. This is a good thing in a warm up. They're not supposed to take up half of the class time, the JTE has his or her material to get through.

Last Man Standing

I had all the kids stand up. Then I asked some simple questions. The kid who could answer the question was allowed to sit down. They could also pick two friends to sit down too. Very simple. If you want to you could also vary the way the students are allowed to sit down. Instead of having the student who answers correctly chose friends  you could say that if a student answers correctly the two students behind him or her get to sit down. Or, if the student answers correctly everyone in his row gets to sit down; the next correct answer allows everyone in the student's column to sit down. You alternate row, column, row, column.

Things I noticed

The kids really enjoyed the game--important.

It allows me to ask questions that review whatever material the kids are studying.

Again, it's easy to prepare (you almost don't have to prepare at all) and quick to do.

The Secret Word

I had the JTE sit in front of the class with her back to the blackboard and told her not to turn around and look. On the blackboard I wrote a word. It was monkey.

Then I told the kids that they had to make the teacher say the word. Not by using gestures or by using the word but by asking questions. I was hoping for something like What animal lives in a tree. What I got was silence.

Things I noticed

I got silence.

I wanted something that would make the students generate some English beyond writing on the board and answering questions but I think I made a mistake in having the kids ask questions. Maybe if the rules were a little more open ended it would have been better. Instead of just questions maybe allowing them to say words like banana, jungle, tree words that suggested the secret word.  Now that I think of it I believe there used to be a game show on US television called Password that was based on that idea.

Check Out the Useful Links

There is a new link in the Useful Links field that should prove very valuable. It's called Englipedia and it looks to have speaking and writing and listeninsg exercises built around the Plus Units of the New Horizon books. There's also something for elementary school, games for using with Eigo Notes. The home page also provides links to information related to the slow motion disaster taking place in Fukushima; information on radiation levels, the IAEC's facebook page and so on.

Grade 1 Unit 1 Are From America?

Filter's off. And just in time for the new school year. Here's something new for first year students that gives them a chance to practice most of the 基本　sentences in the first chapter. Each student is given a copy of this worksheet and one of these flags. The flag represents the student's nationality for the purposes of the game and of course there'll have to be some preliminary discussion to make sure the students are familiar with all of the flags. I chose six at random that I thought the students would already know. ALTs who want to make changes and use the flags of their home countries, go right ahead. Although there is more than one way to do this here's the variation I'll use.

1. Two players meet.


2. They do the necessary greeting, I don't care who goes first.


3. They janken.


4. The winner of the janken gets to ask the question. "Are you from ...?"


5. The loser answers with yes or no and tells where they are from.


6. Only the winner gets to record the answer and collect information.

Doing it that way adds a competitive element. Or, you could remove the need to do the janken and just have the kids talk to as many partners as possible; with or without a time limit. The person who gets the most can collect a sticker Yeah! Stickers!

I've been thinking about making a special sheet on which the students can collect stickers rewards. Many of the teachers use them and it's always surprising how motivating they can be.

I remember when I was their age something like that would have seemed puerile (note to self: check dictionary and make sure I'm using that word right) and almost insulting. I probably stopped being interested in gold stars about the age of nine.

Anyway, the kids all have their English notebooks that they are encouraged to keep old assignments and test papers in. If I make the reward sheet the teacher can have them put it in the back of the English notebook. The only drawback as far as I can see is the need to keep putting out money for stickers.

Oh, and there was an earthquake a tsunami and six nuclear reactors are spreading radioactive poison in the land sea and air and may well be on their way to a meltdown.

And I'm worried about the cost of stickers?