#1334. Slap It

Language, level: Elementary
Posted Sat Oct 2 05:16:37 PDT 1999 by Thad Schmenk (thadsensei@hotmail.com).
Matsuyama JHS, Japan
Materials Required: alphabet cards
Activity Time: 10-15 minutes
Concepts Taught: Alphabet practice

Alphabet Game "Slap it"

This game works great in any foreign language class!

Objective:
1. The student will be able to match the written form of a letter of an alphabet (German, Spanish, English, etc.) with the letter's pronunciation.

Procedure.
1. Have the students form groups of 4 to 5 students. (Having the students sit on the floor seems to work better than having them work at their desks.)
2. Give each group a set of alphabet cards. (I use 5 by 7 index cards on which I have hand written one letter of the targeted alphabet on each card.)
3. Have the students spread the cards out in front of them so that every letter can be seen and that no card overlaps another.
4. Next, call out one letter of the alphabet.
5. The first student to slap the card of the called letter wins the card.
6. The student with the most cards at the end of the game wins.

Possible Problems.
1. Students slapping each other instead of the cards. Warn of the consequences of such actions before beginning the game.
2. Near the end of the game with only a few cards, it is my suggestion to stop when there are only two or three letters left.
3. If students should argue over who won the letter, have the two or three students play rock, paper, scissors to end the argument.