This summer I read the book The Playful Classroom by Jed Dearybury and Julie Jones, and I participated in the book study hosted by Carly and Adam and co-hosted with authors Jed and Julie! It was very inspiring, so I wanted to share some of my favorite ideas here. Providing playful moments in the classroom is so important to academic learning and social-emotional development. I think we can all agree that with the shifts in education the last few years due to the pandemic, academic learning and social-emotional development are high priorities in our classrooms. Here is some research from Jed and Julie's book that supports the necessity of designing playful moments in our classrooms:
Play and exploration trigger the secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) a substance essential for the growth of brain cells (Greenough & Black, 1992; Gordan et. al. 2003; Dewer, 2014).
Play allows us to make mistakes without high-stakes consequences, thus enhancing learning (Fordyce & Wehner, 1993).
Play enhances social skills, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution ability (Jenson, 2005).
There is MUCH more research that supports the validity and purpose of a playful classroom, including what I have seen as a teacher over my teaching career. Learning CAN and SHOULD be fun! Designing playful moments in the classroom can absolutely be rigorous, although it's okay to make a little time to just play too. It's all essential to the development of the whole child.
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. This means I get a small stipend if you use my links, but at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!
The book and the group in the book study shared many ideas and examples of play challenges to try in the classroom. I also took some classes on reading and math intervention this summer. In this post, I am going to synthesize my learning about play and intervention to share some of my favorite ideas on making rigorous intervention playful too. Here are 5 types of playful intervention tools that I am going to try this year and how I will use them in my classroom. Amazon Prime Day is on July 12th and 13th this year, so these ideas include some things that may be just in time for saving big on #AmazonPrimeDay!
1. Pop-It Game Board – 4 Players
There are a lot of possibilities for this game board, and they are on sale! Thanks to people in The Playful Classroom book study for finding these!
Math Intervention Ideas:
- Addition War (addition fluency): With a deck of cards (numbers only–no face cards), deal out all the cards face down in equal piles to each player. Two players turn over 2 cards each from their pile. Each player adds their 2 cards together and whoever has the highest number wins the round. The winner pops a bubble on his/her side of the game board to keep track of the number of rounds won. To increase difficulty, this game can be played with subtraction (smallest number wins the round), multiplication, or division.
- Place Value War (place value, number sense): With a deck of cards (numbers only–no face cards), deal out all the cards face down in equal piles to each player. Two players each turn over 2 cards from their pile. Each player tries to make the highest (or lowest) number possible using the 2 cards they flipped over as digits in the number (i.e. the cards 2 and 5 can make the number 25 or 52). The player with the highest (or lowest ) number wins the round. The winner pops a bubble on his/her side of the game board to keep track of the number of rounds won. To increase the level of difficulty, change the number of cards drawn to make 3 or 4 digit numbers.
- Tens Go Fish (missing addend, fluency with numbers to 10): With a deck of cards (numbers only–no face cards), deal 5 - 7 cards to each player and put the rest of the cards in the middle for the "go fish" pile. Students try to make a match by putting 2 cards together that make 10 (i.e. 7 and 3, or 6 and 4). Like Go Fish, students can ask another player for a number, but they have to figure out the missing addend they need to ask for in order to make 10 (i.e. 8 + ? = 10 They need to ask for the number 2). When they lay down a match, they can pop a bubble on their side of the game board to keep track of their matches. To increase the level of difficulty, let students use addition or subtraction to make 10 and/or more than 2 numbers to make 10 (i.e. 3+2+5 = 10). You can also pick a different target number, such as 25, or use fraction cards to make a target number.
Literacy Intervention Ideas:
- Sliding Letters (decoding multisyllabic words, fluency): With a set of multisyllabic words written on flashcards, have students practice breaking these words apart and reading them (even better if the words are from a story they are reading!). After they have had some practice with these words, mix the words up and cover the word revealing one letter or one group of letters at a time (i.e. in the word "centipede," reveal the 'ce' at the same time so the student knows it should make the soft c sound). The students try to guess the word before it is totally uncovered. They get one point for every word they read correctly and one point for each letter that is still covered when they guess the word. They can pop a bubble on their side of the game board to keep track of their score. This game can be played with all players trying to guess the word as it is being revealed or you can let each player have a turn.
- Guess the Covered Word (inferencing, vocabulary): Using a sentence from a book you are reading or from a sentence you created, cover a vocabulary word you want to focus on with a sticky note. For example, In the read-aloud The Fisherman and His Wife, you heard the fisherman’s wife say, “It ___________ me that the sun and moon will not rise and set at my command.” (the missing word would have a sticky note covering it). The students generate words that they think would make sense in the blank from the context of the story. The words should all have similar meanings, so students are generating synonyms. On the sticky note, write the words the students generate (i.e. annoys, irritates, displeases, etc.). You may have to let them know that phrases are not accepted (such as "makes me mad"). Then use the sticky note to reveal the first letter in the covered word. In this sentence, it is the letter 'D'. Cross off the words on the sticky note that could not be the covered word – in this example: annoys and irritates. Let students generate new words after each letter is uncovered. The student who generated the correct word gets 2 points, any students who guessed the correct word from the list get 1 point. Students pop a bubble on their side of the game board to keep track of their score. To change the level of difficulty, the teacher could generate the list of words for the students to choose from.
- Pass! (fluency with long vowel combinations): Make 30 flashcards with words that have the same long vowel sound (i.e. words with a __silent e, ay, ai). Pass out all the cards so each player has the same amount of cards. The first player lays down a card, reads it, and tells the vowel combination (i.e. rain – /ai/). The next player would have to put down a card with the vowel combination /ai/ and read it too (i.e. pail). If a player does not have an /ai/ card, he/she would have to pass. If a student lays down the wrong card, leave the card on the discard pile, but no point is given. Keep going around the circle until no one has any more cards with that long vowel combination. Then the next player lays down a new long vowel combination for the next round (i.e. say – /ay/). Players can pop a bubble on his/her side of the game board when they lay down a correct card. The game is over when someone runs out of cards.
2. Pop-It 100s Chart and Pop-It Alphabet
Math Intervention:
- Race to 100 (adding on strategy, counting money): First students need 2 dice, some plastic coins, and the 100 chart pop it. The first player rolls the 2 dice and adds them together. If the player rolls a 1 or a 2, he/she can decide if it is a 1 or a 10 or a 2 or a 20. Then he/she takes that amount of money in coins. Each player takes a turn and adds on to the money they get on their next turn. The first one to 100 or $1.00 wins. With intervention students, we could pop the numbers on the 100 chart and add on to the total. This game can be played with money or base 10 blocks.
- Number Squeeze (number sense, greater than/less than): The teacher picks a secret target number. The students guess a number and the teacher tells them if the secret number is greater than or less than that number (i.e. the students guess 50. The teacher says the secret number is less than 50, so the students pop the 50 bubble on the 100s chart pop it and everything above 50). They continue to guess numbers until they narrow it down to the secret number.
- Battle Ship (number sense, +1/-1, +10/-10): With a laminated 100 chart, have each student secretly draw a rectangle around 2 numbers on the 100 chart (i.e. 10, 20), 3 numbers on the 100 chart (i.e. 24. 25. 26), and 4 numbers on the 100 chart (i.e. 56. 66. 76. 86). The rectangles drawn can be horizontal or vertical, but they cannot be diagonal. The 3 rectangles each student drew represent their 3 battle ships. You may want to put each student's 100 chart in a file folder and stand the file folder up so the student can see their own 100 chart but the other player cannot see it. The first player picks a number on the 100 chart trying to sink the other player's battle ship. If the player picks a number that the other player's battleship is on (i.e. 20), the player says "hit." Then they have to figure out if they add/subtract 1 or if they add/subtract 10 to find where the battleship is hiding. If they guess a number that does not have a battleship on it, the player say "miss." Players pop the numbers that are a miss on their hundreds chart pop it. Play continues until one player sinks all 3 of the other player's battleships.
Reading Intervention:
- Sight Word Scramble (building words): Choose a set of words that students are working on decoding. They can be words that follow a certain pattern or sight words that must be memorized. Use the alphabet pop it to push down all the letters/combinations in the word. Have the student unscramble the letters to correctly build the word. You may want to have the student use magnetic letters to physically move the letters to unscramble them. Then have the student write the word correctly. This game can be played in partners or small groups with students taking turns building the words and popping the letters and checking the correct spelling.
3. Hack the Board Game: Headbandz
In this picture guessing game, the players each wear a headband. Without looking at the picture card they have, each player puts a card in his/her headband. Players have to ask the other players questions to figure out which card they have. Try scaffolding the questions and the card choices to make this a rigorous, academic game for the classroom!
Math Intervention:
- (Number Sense): Using the traditional rules for the game, try replacing the picture cards with numbers. Generate a list of guided questions for the students to use such as: Is it an even/odd number? Is it a 2 digit number? Is it divisible by 5? Is it a fraction? Is it greater than/less than (number)?
Reading Intervention:
- (Grammar, reading strategies, vocabulary): Using the traditional rules for the game and potentially using the cards that come with the game and/or creating new cards, generate a list of questions for students to ask such as: Is it a noun/verb? Is it used when someone is talking? Is it an onomatopoeia? In our book study, one of the teachers made reading strategy cards for the headbandz such as "I am theme," I am context clues, "I am plot." You could also make vocabulary cards your class has been studying to go in the headbandz, and the describer has to give synonyms as clues.
4. Hack the Board Game: Pop Up Pirate, Pile Up Pirate, Shark Bite
These 3 board games can be hacked and played in similar ways. You can pick one, or you can use them all for novelty when practicing the same intervention skills over and over! The idea to use the game Pop Up Pirate during intervention came from Emily Gibbons at The Literacy Nest.
Math Intervention:
- Pop Up Pirate (counting money, identifying coins): To play this game, pirate Pete is pushed into the barrel and you slide swords into the barrel until it causes Pete to pop out. If your sword caused Pete to pop out of the barrel, you're out of the game. To hack this game for the classroom, try putting money flashcards into a pirate's treasure box. You could use flashcards that have an amount written on them, or you could use flashcards that have pictures of coins that students need to identify and/or count depending on the skill you need to practice with your group. Students draw a card and either count out plastic coins to make the amount on the card or identify the coins on the flashcard and/or count up the total. If the student makes a mistake, he/she has to put a sword into the barrel. You should also make some "sword" cards, so if students draw the sword card, they have to stick a sword into the barrel. If the pirate pops out, that student is out of the game. Continue play until one player is left.
- Pile Up Pirate (counting money, identifying coins): To play this game, pirate Pete is put on the deck of the ship. You must pile up planks and pirates to create a look-out tower made of pirates. Whoever stacks the last pirate without knocking the stack over is the winner. To hack this game for the classroom, try putting money flashcards in the pirate's treasure box, just like the suggestion for the game Pop Up Pirate. Students draw a flashcard that either has an amount written that they must count out in coins, or it has coins that they must count and identify. If they do it correctly, they get to put a pirate on the pile. If they are wrong, they either lose their turn or have to take a pirate off the pile. The player that adds the last pirate to the pile without knocking it over wins the game.
- Shark Bite (counting money, identifying coins): To play this game, open the shark's jaws by pushing the jaws down until they lock into the base. Twelve sea creatures are pushed into the holes between the jaws until it clicks. Roll the dice and use the fishing pole (fingers are okay to use too) to catch that many fish. The shark will randomly close its jaws when players are fishing, which ends the game. Whoever has the most fish when the shark jumps wins the game. No batteries needed! To hack this game for the classroom, tell students that there is sunken treasure they are looking for, but they have to remove the sea creatures to get to it before the shark comes. Just like in the first 2 game suggestions, put money flashcards into a treasure box. Students draw a card and either count the amount in plastic coins or identify the coins on the cards. If they are correct, they get to go fishing. If they make a mistake, they don't get to fish for a sea creature. The player with the most fish after the shark jumps wins. If you are teaching summer school, this would be a must-do in the classroom during Shark Week! This year, shark week is July 24 - 31, 2022. The Discovery Channel and Discovery+ streaming shares lots of educational information and interesting facts about sharks.
Reading Intervention:
- Pop Up Pirate (reading/writing words with R-controlled vowel AR, soft/ hard c): (See the directions for how to play this game under the math intervention section.) To hack this game for the classroom, share the pirate joke with your students, and tell them they are going to practice words with a pirate's favorite letters. Create a set of flashcards with words that have the r-controlled vowel AR or words with hard and soft c, and put them in a treasure box. Have students take turns reading or writing the word on the flashcards. If they make a mistake, they have to put a sword into the barrel. Create "sword" cards to put in your flashcard pile so players have to put a sword into the barrel periodically. If pirate Pete pops out, that player is out of the game. Continue play until only one player is left.
- Pile Up Pirate (reading/writing words with R-controlled vowel AR, soft/ hard c): (See the directions for how to play this game under the math intervention section.) To hack this game for the classroom, share the pirate joke with your students just like the suggestion in the Pirate Pop Up game, and tell them they are going to practice words with a pirate's favorite letters. Create a set of flashcards with words that have the r-controlled vowel ar or words with hard and soft c, and put them in a treasure box. Have students take turns reading or writing the word on the flashcards. If they are correct, they get to put a pirate on the pile. If they are wrong, they either lose their turn or have to take a pirate off the pile. The player that adds the last pirate to the pile without knocking it over wins the game.
- Shark Bite (reading/writing words with R-controlled vowel AR silent e words): (See the directions for how to play this game under the math intervention section.) To hack this game for the classroom, tell students they are going to practice words with r-controlled vowel AR (like shark) or words with a silent e (like bite). Create a set of flashcards with words that have the r-controlled vowel AR or words that have a silent e, and put them in a treasure box. Have students take turns reading or writing the word on the flashcards. If they are correct, they get to go fishing. If they make a mistake, they don't get to fish for a sea creature. The player with the most sea creatures after the shark jumps wins.
5. Hack the Board Game: Flickin Chicken, Velcro Dart Board for Kids
These 2 board games can also be hacked in similar ways. You can pick one of these games, or use them both for the novelty of having different games to infuse rigor and play. These 2 games can be used with any intervention skill.
Intervention (use with any reading or math intervention skill):
- Flickin Chicken (word practice for CK vs. K, digraph CH, any word or math practice): To play this game, throw (or place) the target disc. One side of the disc adds a point, one side of the disc takes a point away. The goal of the game is to get the lowest amount of points possible. Throw a chicken at the target (they tend to bounce and roll). Each throw is worth one point. Keep throwing until your chicken lands on the target. The player with the least amount of points wins. To hack this game for the classroom, make a set of flashcards with words that use a 'k' (such as mask) or words that use a 'ck' (such as chicken). Have students take turns reading or writing the words on the flashcard. If they get it right, they get to throw a chicken at the target disc. If they make a mistake, they do not get to throw a chicken, but they have to add a point to their score. The game ends when someone gets a chicken on the disc. Whoever has the lowest score (meaning it took them the least amount of throws for them to get the chicken on the target) wins the game. You could also use flashcards with the digraph CH, or literally any word or math practice. Getting the practice word or math problem correct earns you a throw of the chicken!
- Velcro Dart Board for Kids: To play this game, hang up the dart board and players throw the sticky balls at the target. Get points for where your ball hits the target, and add up your points. Whoever has the most points wins. To hack this game for the classroom, any kind of math or reading practice can earn students a throw at the target. The player with the most points wins!
These fun and meaningful ways to practice intervention skills are what really makes learning stick! I would love to hear more suggestions for bringing a playful vibe to the classroom. Please share your ideas with me!
No comments