Thinking Cards

These cards are the result of shared ideas.

The original concept was for simple thought provoking , silly ideas that could be put on a table as a box of interaction cards for pairs or small groups of children to discuss on a short daily basis.

As I was  making them, it  became quite clear that this resource had lots more potential. There is the obvious development of imagination, thinking skills, questioning techniques. Many of the cards could also be used as writing starters. They are useful for fast finishers to work on more challenging tasks. You can print some and carry them in your pocket to hand out when appropriate.

Some more  ideas …

You can also use art in this way. You can take a painting, choose a character in it and ask:

where are they going? why?

                          What are they doing? Why is the lady holding an umbrella? Why isn't anyone else?

After getting the children used to answering questions, they could then have a picture and formulate the questions themselves and ask a partner. 2 mins to think of 3 questions, 2 mins to answer them and vice versa

Get an unusual object (eg a frisbee, candlestick etc)and say to the children "what is this?" most of them will obviously reply with "it's a frisbee, candlestick etc" Get the children to come up with new inventions for what the object is and does etc...
Some may use their imaginations and invent something new before you need to prompt them eg. it is a spacemans helmet. if they don't say this then you may need to prompt them with further ideas such as "why is it a frisbee? Who said that it was a frisbee? Why can't it be something else?" etc

Make up different menus for different story characters - eg The Iron Man - metal only

As a listening idea...draw a picture, colour it in and hide it from the children. Then describe your picture and see if the children can draw it exactly as you have done without looking at the picture.
-with older children you could have the class come up and do their own versions and describe them to the class
-with younger children you could have the picture already drawn (maybe some bits missing hair or eyes) and get them to colour it in according to how you describe the person/objects etc.

Pictures of expressions, crying, excited, sad, happy etc and ask what these people are feeling and why??
Could be a good way of discussing death; someone’s gold fish/cat/snowman has died/melted how does that person feel?
What can we do to make them feel better?

Name as many towns and cities in  ( country) as you can. 

Make a list of all the things you can that are the colour red, green orange, blue, etc.

Take a picture - art or magazine, cut up for each group to have a copy of but don't give all of the picture. What is missing? Who could it be? why ? what could be there instead?

I’m sure you can think of many more. Please, leave a comment. Your feedback is important.

As an example, here are some of the cards I have created. They have a white background and fancy frames.

 

Thinking Card     The three little pigs want to build another house. Suggest three new materials they could use and why.

Thinking Card         You find a message in a bottle. What does the message say?

Thinking Card   You can invite three celebrities for tea. Who would you choose and why?

Thinking Card   You can invite three book or nursery rhyme characters for tea. Who would you choose and why?

The whole pack has more than 100!!! If you are interested, please

Literature Cards Game

Print and laminate  these templates.   Make as many sets as you need for your group. You can play SNAP, Memory game, Matching game, Piggy Goes or other games in small groups. You can also use these cards to play Speed question/ answer ping pong  game, where you ask the questions and a representative of each small group answers. You can also invent a simple boardgame to play with these cards. There are many possibilities!

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What A is repeating consonants that sound the same at the beginning of words or stressed syllables. Eg. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.	Alliteration	What A is the meaning a writer wants to convey in a piece of writing.	Argument
What A is giving the impression that words sound similar by repeating the same or similar vowel sounds. Example: marrows and carrots.	Assonance	What B is writing down all the various possible meanings and interpretations you can think of after reading a particular piece of writing.	Brainstorming
What C is an informal word, phrase or piece of English you might use when chatting. Example: saying spud instead of potato.	Colloquialism	What F.O.S. is where the meaning of an expression isn't the same as the literal meaning of the words. Eg. she was over the moon with joy.	Figure of speech
What C is the text which surrounds a word or phrase. A word may fit into it or may appear to surprise you and be out of it.	Context	What C is reading or writing about the different works of an author or authors to point out similarities in content and/or types of expression.	Cross- referencing
What D is the conversation between characters	Dialogue	What E.L. are words or phrases that arouse an emotional response in the reader. Example: the poor, defenseless animals.	Emotive language
What F is when the author begins consecutive sentences or lines of verse with the same words or structure.	Foregrounding	What I is the general term to cover figures of speech (metaphor, simile, etc.) the use of this a writer projects different pictures to the reader/listener.	Imagery/images
What I is using language to express the opposite to what you mean or feel.	Irony	What M is describing something by saying it is another thing. Example: he's a wizard at Maths. (c.f simile)	Metaphor
What N is how the author tells a story in a piece of writing.	Narrative	What P is a statement that appears to contradict itself. Examples: cold fire, sick health	Paradox
What P is giving things or ideas human characteristics. Example: the hot fat spat in the pan.	Personification	What P is a form of writing that is not in verse and that doesn't rhyme. Novels and newspapers are written in this way.	Prose
What R.C. is two consecutive lines with each other, and are usually about the same length.	Rhyming couplet	What R.S. is used to discuss the way a poem rhymes.	Rhyme scheme
What R is using pairs or groups of words, usually at the end of lines of verse, which have the same or very similar sounds.	Rhyme	What R is a term usually applied to poetry, but which can also be used for drama & prose. It is produced by the stress given to words when they are read aloud	Rhythm
What S is describing something by saying it is like or as something else. Example: I've been working like a dog. (c.f metaphor)	Simile	What S is a speech spoken by an actor alone on stage, designed to reveal the character's innermost thoughts and feelings.	Soliloquy
What S is the way a poem is usually divided into lines and grouped together . In hymn-books they are called verses.	Stanza	What S is a word that stands for an object and what it represents eg. Carol Ann Duffy uses 'onion' as her valentine.	Symbol
What T is the pattern of rhythm and sound in a poem.. made by the words used and the way they are used.	Texture	What V is a term applied to poetic writing, not prose. or a single line of a poem.	Verse
What W.A. is using words whose meaning can be used to suggest another meaning. The word red, for example, means a colour or a political belief.	Word association	What S is a poem containing fourteen lines.	Sonnet

Sentence Spinner KS1

Here is a simple game to make yourchildren work on sentence enrichment.

Click on the text boxes, delete what’s there, and insert a simple sentence that can be changed and up-levelled. and let the children up-level on whiteboards –this way, they can collect three or four sentences as a starting point for their writing.

The children  can also play this  game  individually in the computer room. They click on  number 1 first, to read the sentence; then they click on the  spin button to start the wheel going, and press it again for Robin Hood to use his bow and arrow, and nail one of the wheel sections. The child must then enlarge the simple sentence according to what the arrow is marking. They can do this in their copybooks or whiteboards. Then, they click on the SPIN AGAIN button to continue.

See sample:

 

If you are interested , please

Grammar Games

A set of motivating activities that will make your students  enjoy the practise grammar .

If you are interested, please

Click on the sample

Ice breakers to start the school year

Here are some ideas to put into practice at the beginning of next school year. There are activities and games for KS2 and KS3 mostly. Remember to take part in the activity or game you choose. The children enjoy it , get to know your “human” part , and it is a very good way to get to know your children, too.

If you are interested, please

To enlarge it, click on the sample

Grammar and Vocabulary Games KS1 and KS2

A large collection of activities that will make your students love grammar!

Easy to play, clear explanations and little preparation.

If you are interested

 

See sample