Bingo

Whisper Bingo

• The teacher sits in the centre of the room (or the playground).
• One member of each team sits in a corner of the room with the bingo card and the counters.
• The other team members form a chain from the teacher to their team captain in the corner.
• The teacher whispers the target word to the four team members closest to her/him.
• In turn the children turn and whisper the word to the next child in their team chain. When they eventually whisper the word to their team captain with the bingo card she/he covers the correct image with a counter if it is on their card.
• This version can generate a lot of false BINGO calls which will need to be checked and rejected. Which can be useful for clarifying vocabulary & pronunciation on the fly.

Running Bingo

• As with Whisper Bingo the class is split into up to 4 teams.
• Ensure there is an obstacle free route between the team runners' destination and the Bingo (non) caller.
• The team runners assemble near the Bingo (non) caller, who points to a picture in the lapbook.
• The runners charge over to their team and call the vocabulary item to be covered with a counter.
• The previous runner sits and another team member takes over as the runner.
• Deal with corrections as and when needed.
• Make a note of any vocabulary that the children persistently don't know, mispronounce, or confuse with other language for a feedback phase later on.
• Weather permitting this is way more fun (and less likely to turn into " tiny human bumper cars") when taken outside because greater distances can be created between the teams, the runners and the Bingo (non) caller.
• As a twist for end of term/impending holiday fun and games, if there are other adults available to lend a hand with the logistics and class management, the running part can be turned into "3 Legged Running Bingo".

student creations

Pictures & Text

• When students produce work relevant to the lapbook, or themed unit of study take a photo of it.
• Upload it to an online digital classroom portfolio. I use the Seesaw Class app, but there are other options.
• Get the link to the uploaded photo, create a QR Code and stick it into the booklet.
• Add a date, notes and/or evaluation.

Video

• There is a huge range of apps for all operating systems that allow students to make interesting, or engaging videos with a twist. It's far from an exhaustive list, but on my iPad I regularly use Chatterpics, iMovie, Magisto, Action Movie, Toontastic, Plotagon, Spark Video, Quik, Green Screen by Doink and Sock Puppets.
• Upload the finished creations to youtube (NB with an unlisted link to avoid the video being available to Joe Public) , or Seesaw.
• Turn the url of the uploaded creation into a Qr Code, print it and stick it to the booklet with the date, description and/or evaluation.

Audio

• Again, there are a lot of options for every OS and device. My students' favourite is Smule AutoRap.
• Seesaw will also allow students to add audio to a note (including a blank one), or a picture.
• Karaoke apps, voice changer apps, sound collection apps (e.g. MadPad) and dictaphone apps all offer a variety of options to provide an engaging, oral production phase with a tangible final product.
• Some apps don't offer the option to export what you created unless you upgrade to a paid subscription. However most will give you an url to where your students' work is stored on their own server.
• Create a QR Code with the url, print it and stick it in the booklet with a date, notes and/or evaluation.

Games

• Students can make their own learning games to use & share.
• Most of the games in the Digital Games Booklets can be edited. However there is nothing to stop the students starting from scratch, or using a template you have made for them.
• Apps worth considering are Bitsboard, Tinytap and Learning Apps.
• Quizlet can be used even with non reading children if you exploit the text solely for the audio it produces.
• Make a QR code with the url of the games the students produce, print it, stick it in a booklet. Add a date, notes and/or evaluation.

Flashcards

FIND THE LADY

• Either print the flashcards on thick paper, or back them with another sheet of paper to make sure the image is not visible when the card is turned over.
• Show the student/small group 3/4/5 flashcards.
• Elicit the vocab.Turn the cards over and mix them up.
• Ask the students to point to a specific card.
• Turn over the card and award individual/team points if they guessed correctly.

Slap

• Lay a number of flashcards face up on a table, or the floor.
• Tell the student to SLAP the correct flashcard before you count to 3/4/5 etc.
• Say the word with urgency/excitement and start counting.
• If they SLAP the correct item within the time limit you have set award them the flashcard, points, or counters that be totted up at the end of the game.

Move it, Move it

• Dot the flashcards around the room.
• Either stuck to the walls, or laid in various high and low points in the room.
• NB Take care to ensure that there are no tripping/bashing hazards between the child/children and the cards. In better weather this can take place outside in a playground, or other available outside space which can reduce the risk of small people bashing into each other, or objects with sharp corners. To further reduce potential collisions divide larger groups into teams, with only one member of each team competing in any given heat.
• Call out the name of a selected vocab item.
• The objective is for the child/children to run and stand near the correct flashcards.
• Award individual, or team points for the child/children who moves to the correct flashcard.
• This game can be reversed whereby the child/team members yell the vocab item and the teacher has to run to the correct card before the child/team counts to 3/4/5 etc. They tend to find this hilarious, especially if you ham it up. It has the advantage of avoiding a particularly boisterous group of children becoming a tiny human version of bumper cars.

Treasure Hunt

• Hide the flashcards in various parts of the classroom/building depending on which is most suitable.
• Elicit/revise prepositions.
• Give visual/vocal clues e.g. Show a picture of the place where a card is hidden and say "It's under/on/next to the X".
• The children hear/see the clue and go to find the hidden flashcard.
• Points for successful retrieval. Deduct points/have "sit out a turn" sanctions for anybody snatching the card off another child.
• This can be played as individuals for one-to-one students and small groups. Larger groups can be divided into teams.