How to Use Games to Boost Writing Engagement? Read on!
Use games to boost writing engagement-3 fun ideas below!
1. Listening Game Writing Idea
Write using a model from a game. For example, after you play Listening Bingo, shown above, have students write their own clues. Scaffold as necessary for the proficiency and grade level. Sentence stems, modeling of examples, and shared writing (where you work on writing clues together) are just a few ways to support students. You can even integrate the new clues into the next round of play. Imagine students’ excitement when they hear their own clues!
2. Speaking Game Writing Idea
Next, write using speaking supports from a game. You can use Speaking Tic Tac Toe above as a springboard to writing! Choose the gameboard your group will use. Model, practice, and play a couple rounds in groups of two. Depending on the proficiency level of your English learners there are several options for writing. Students can choose one thing from the game board and use the sentence stems to write a sentence or two, or even a complete paragraph such as the one on pets shown here. If you prefer, students can work with the partner they just played a game with or you can do several examples together as a class. With 20 gameboards to choose from there are several options for using games to boost writing engagement.
3. Rhyming Game Writing Idea
Thirdly, you can use phonics or vocabulary cards from a matching game and students can write complete sentences such as, “I see ten hens on the farm.” or “The fox is in the big box.” These examples use cards from the rhyming match game above. You can also use phonics cards or vocabulary cards to write words, sentences, or definitions. Let students have fun writing silly sentences too!
Check out the Games Shown!
Wanting to use games to boost writing engagement but don’t have time to create? You can click on the pictures above or below to check out these resources.
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If you would like a vocabulary example, use the severe weather words, images and definitions from my Extreme Weather resource, along with the corresponding writing activities. Students can start with a matching game and build up to writing a paragraph on one kind of extreme weather using the resource as a guide. Click on the picture to learn more.
If you are looking for other game ideas take a look these blog posts for additional ESL speaking and listening fun:
And a Bundle on TPT!
Happy teaching!
Beth
