Making Review Engaging in the Classroom!
We all know that this time of year can be like pulling teeth getting the students to be actively engaged in their learning. Teachers seem to do circus acts just to get SOME of the students to grasp the concept being taught. Transparency: This time of year (right before Spring Break for most of us) ALL need a break from the classroom! My fix to this is: Making review ENGAGING in the Classroom!
To prepare students for whatever state standardized test (don’t get me started) is coming up….whatever assessments were data is collected on each student to measure whether or not there was “growth” since that last time they were tested. (Which was probably a week before is what it seems.) Making sure that you have their attention and are implementing ways to review/teach concepts that will make it SINK into their precious little brains is so very critical.
I have some ways that making review engaging in the classroom is quick and EASY! Keep on reading!
1. Reviewing ANY type of vocabulary for ANY concept being taught. The one I am about to explain can be used with ANY grade level from K-12th!
Headband Vocabulary Review Games:
I used this in my classroom quite often for ALL the things. The purpose of the activity is to have students play in partners, small groups, or as a whole group.
A quick explanation:
- Player one will chose a card that is in a FACE DOWN pile. This player will NOT see the word, but put it in a headband (see below) or hold it up to their forehead.
- The partner, or team of this player will give hints, clues, or the definition of the vocab word on Player 1’s forehead, and Player 1 has ONE CHANCE to guess the word correctly. If the word is guessed correctly, that team gets 1 point. If it is guessed incorrectly, the opposite player or team gets the point.
- Rotate between partners/teams until all of the vocab terms are done. I have included 2 different products of “Headbands” that can be purchased in order to make this game just that much more engaging.
- Teachers can make their own vocabulary cards for this activity, students can make them, or I have some for purchase below.
Click on any of the pictures below to be taken directly to an Amazon Affiliate link.
*There is ABSOLUTELY NO extra charge for you, just a VERY SMALL commission for me. I would appreciate any support you can give! 😉
This version comes with a box and is the updated version
of the game. It is $27.99. However…
I personally purchased this one. Yes, it is a generic version,
BUT it does the same things AND it’s only $13.99 (Always in for a deal over here! :-))
Here are the links to some actual Headbands Vocabulary Review Games that I have in my store:
Place Value Vocabulary Review Game– standards-based vocabulary for 1st-4th graders.
Geometry Vocabulary Review Game– standards-based vocabulary for 1st-4th graders.
Financial Literacy Vocabulary Review Game– standards-based vocabulary for 1st-4th graders.
Toss Across- Tic-Tac-Toe Game Review Idea:
Once again, students of ANY age can use this game as a review game.
1.The teacher can put out out task cards over any concept and provide an answer key either at the station OR at his/her desk.
2.Partners or groups of students can take turns answering the task cards or questions on a worksheet. If player or team 1 get the problem correct, they get a chance to “Toss Across” and whichever symbol they get (X or O) that is the letter that they have to stay with for the rest of the game.
3. Players continue to rotate turns, and the team that gets 3 in a row of the same letter WINS!
Click on the picture below to go to link:
Basket Head Toss Game Review Idea:
Well, what do I have to say about this one….hmmmmm…..It is one of the students favorites!
Same as above, it can be used for task cards or worksheet problems in a station.
HOWEVER… I chose to use it as a whole group activity.
1. Display the question however you do that in your classroom.
2. Students will be in small groups for this.
3. The team that stands up first, rings the bell first, pushes the buzzer first (This is up to teacher discretion) gives ONE MEMBER OF THE TEAM the opportunity to answer the question correctly. If they do, then one player from the team has the opportunity to throw (teacher discretion on how many) balls into the basket on top of his/her head.
4. After 3 chances at throwing, the team gets how many points for the amount of balls made into the basket. (Two different colored balls- red and white- come with the game, so you can assign the balls different point values.
Two player set for teams or can use with one player (like the teacher 🙂 ) and have the other one as an extra.
CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW TO BE TAKEN TO THE LINK:
In addition, the two following games can be used the same way as above. Especially for stations or team competitions for review. Any of these game ideas are used to emphasize the importance of the concept being taught. Click on the link to be taken to the purchase link.
Regardless that it may get a bit noisy at times in your classroom, I do hope that some of these ideas will be an addition in your classroom! Above all, it is doing what we can as educators to truly do what we can for all students to be successful. I truly believe that in this case making learning engaging and FUN is the KEY.
