Ideas for concrete activities in the classroom

Find below some ideas for concrete activities in the classroom.

It is important to have concrete activities in language classes, especially for young learners. Children start abstracting after they are 12 years old, so before that if they can have activities that move their bodies, touch objects, move around the classroom, classes get more fun and learning take place.

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Running Dictation

Divide students into pairs.
Display numbered sentences or questions and answers on a wall outside the classroom.
Divide the pair into A and B.
Give each pair a sheet of paper.
Tell them to number from 1 to 8.
Round 1: Student A goes outside and read sentence number 1.
Goes back to his/her peer and dictates the sentence.
In case student B has difficulties in writing some words, encourage them them to say “How do you spell___________?”
Student A goes on until sentence/question 4.
Round 2: switch roles.

What's missing?

Display flashcards on the floor or on the board.
Review the vocabulary with them.
Review chunks of languages and not isolated words.
Tell them to close their eyes.
Take one of the flashcards out and ask “What’s missing?”
Use the structure from the unit.
Variation 1: you can use real objects, real food, etc. instead of flashcards.
Variation 2: you can ask students to draw the vocabulary and use their drawings for the activity.

Moving slips

Write questions and answers on slips of paper.
In class, divide students into pairs.
Give each pair a slip.
Tell students to ask each other the question on the slip.
Tell them to switch roles.
After some minutes, pass the slip to the next pair.
Go on until all the pairs have the chance to ask and answer all the questions.
Follow-up extension: each pair can dictate the questions. everybody writes the questions and answer.

Songs

Very young learners: always encourage them to stand up, sing and follow the movements.
Older learners: ask them to help you create movements for some specific words in the song.
Play the song.
Tell them to sing and do the movements you have previously set up.
Challenge: insert more movements related to other words.
Variation: you can make copies of the song; cut them out in parts; play the audio and ask them to organize it in the correct order.

TPR (Total Physical Response)

Simon says
Walk from one flashcard o the other in different ways (walk, run, hop, jump, etc)
Touch different colors, parts of the body.
Bring me something: big, small, orange, blue, etc.
Freeze dance
Mime game
You are an animal (gestures and sounds)
Slow motions actions
Action song
IMPORTANT: remember that we are teaching language. So, all the TPR activities must come along with oral production.