After Kindergarten and Introductory Phonetics, small children are often put into a Beginners English class using books like Let's Go 1. Often they are not ready for Lets Go 1, but need to....

1. practice use of phonics through games

2. practice alphabet letter writing and

3. build up a basic vocabulary of small words.

I like to use my Small Words Game. The Small Words Game gets them excited about English. It motivates the kids as they already know a large number of small words from regular school and the mass media.

I often divide the class into two teams (they like competition) or each child keeps his/her score on the board beside their name.

You will find in the table below some of the small words they write in columns across the board for all to see. The children come up with them not the teacher. Teacher may have to start the game by giving some examples.

Note that there are only two English words with a single letter: a and I.

Get the idea? Children like this very much. They are not intimidated by small words (easy to spell) and I accept abbreviations like CD, BBQ, TV, Ok, SOS, TNT, UN, USA, and UK. In Korea I also accept short English names of pop-music groups as the kids know these from television: SES, HOT, UN, NRG etc. and TV stations like MBC, KBS.

This game can cover two or three classes and it is good to post a large table/graphics of short word on the class wall in big writing for all to see and use in the following weeks. Kids can make the enlarged words with markers and paper as a crafts project and post them on the huge wall-mounted table. This is preferable to the teacher doing it. Avoid using too many shapes and colors when making the words/letters as Montessori has shown this confuses children.

Once we have done the Small Words Game I like to get kids using these words in the Spelling Circle Game http://www.eslteachersboard.com/cgi-bin/lessons/index.pl?read=854. Spelling Circle Game is a strong way to reinforce the new vocabulary as words are reused/relearned/approached in a different way. Children will play the Spelling Circle Game for an hour and will do it in class, if there is space, or out doors. They especially like it as it is kinesthetic and interactive. Students and teacher can also make a set of small words flash cards, another way to build them into memory.

*Q as in Q. and A. LX: Extra Large

Copyright Robin Tim Day