Acrostic Competition (adapted for lower elementary)- This game can be used for either previewing or reviewing a topic. To play, a word representing the concept is chosen and written vertically on chart paper. You will need enough copies written for the number of groups playing (in our PD, we had 5 groups of 5-6 players). Students stand in a line and take turns writing a word or short phrase that begins with one of the letters of the word on the chart paper (like an acrostic poem). The goal is to be the first group finished writing a word or short phrase for each letter of the word. The words that the students are writing must pertain to the topic being previewed/reviewed. This game was fun and forced us to be creative with our wording. It could be a challenge for our younger students to play. I was thinking about some ways to work around the spelling challenges (inventive spelling would be okay here, exce pt for that first letter since it's kind of the basis of the game!) as well as the pressure of taking turns.
Here are some ideas for spelling:
1) You could have a list of words available (posted or written on a page for each group to have) that is associated with the concept. This could be your word wall or even a group brainstorm list the class came up with before playing the game.
2) Instead of having to spell words on the chart paper, students could have to post already written words (on strips of paper) next to the appropriate letter. For added challenge, you could throw in extra words that either don't pertain to the topic (but maybe a previously learned topic so the chances of them recognizing the word is higher or even a spelling word) or that do pertain to the topic (but use a different first letter so they have more words to sort through).
3) For ideas 2 and 3, you could add an extra step. After the words have been written /posted, the students could draw a picture representing the word/short phrase. They could work together to read or even ask the teacher. I feel that part of the strength of this game is being able to reword the information you know about a topic in order to come up with a word of short phrase with the given letters. When the words/short phrases are already supplied, it seems that now it is about letter matching. However, maybe that is okay as long as you created the words/short phrases together or go over them after. I feel like adding the illustration step does help. Even though the students may not have been able to write it independently, they demonstrated their knowledge of the word/short phrase by exemplifying it in a drawing.
4) Based on the season, month, or holiday, you could come up with a word (e.g. snowman) and the students will have to use spelling words to fill in the letters. This could be a challenge coming up wit h a word, but you could always have the rule be that the letter in the written word just has to be in the word you want to write, not just the beginning (e.g. his, know, off, how, made, said, many).
Here are some ideas for alleviating the pressure of taking turns:
1) Let the group brainstorm before they begin (any amount of time that you feel is appropriate).
2) Let the group work together the whole time and have one scribe.
3) Let the group word together the whole time but require every student to have a turn writing.
4) Let students chose to have a friend from their group come up with them when it is their turn.
Here are some ideas for spelling:
1) You could have a list of words available (posted or written on a page for each group to have) that is associated with the concept. This could be your word wall or even a group brainstorm list the class came up with before playing the game.
2) Instead of having to spell words on the chart paper, students could have to post already written words (on strips of paper) next to the appropriate letter. For added challenge, you could throw in extra words that either don't pertain to the topic (but maybe a previously learned topic so the chances of them recognizing the word is higher or even a spelling word) or that do pertain to the topic (but use a different first letter so they have more words to sort through).
3) For ideas 2 and 3, you could add an extra step. After the words have been written /posted, the students could draw a picture representing the word/short phrase. They could work together to read or even ask the teacher. I feel that part of the strength of this game is being able to reword the information you know about a topic in order to come up with a word of short phrase with the given letters. When the words/short phrases are already supplied, it seems that now it is about letter matching. However, maybe that is okay as long as you created the words/short phrases together or go over them after. I feel like adding the illustration step does help. Even though the students may not have been able to write it independently, they demonstrated their knowledge of the word/short phrase by exemplifying it in a drawing.
4) Based on the season, month, or holiday, you could come up with a word (e.g. snowman) and the students will have to use spelling words to fill in the letters. This could be a challenge coming up wit h a word, but you could always have the rule be that the letter in the written word just has to be in the word you want to write, not just the beginning (e.g. his, know, off, how, made, said, many).
Here are some ideas for alleviating the pressure of taking turns:
1) Let the group brainstorm before they begin (any amount of time that you feel is appropriate).
2) Let the group work together the whole time and have one scribe.
3) Let the group word together the whole time but require every student to have a turn writing.
4) Let students chose to have a friend from their group come up with them when it is their turn.