Dear Paul

To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: DOWNLOAD

What type of game can students play to learn and practice listening skills in the classroom?

Middle School Teacher

Dear M.S.T.,
I will define “game” as an educational experience that develops skills through competition and cooperation. To achieve positive results in the classroom, competition could be against oneself, another person/group, or natural elements (such as time).

The old game of “20 Questions” is a productive way to develop classification, observation, thinking and listening skills. Because the possibility of topics is infinite, this activity can be used in any subject area at any level and easily fits into any available time slot.

Explain, with examples, the meaning of ‘VAM” (Vegetable, Animal or Mineral). Plants and their products are Vegetable (e.g. the tree outside the classroom window, the math text on the teacher’s desk, the wooden ruler); living-breathing things and their products are Animal (e.g. the school principal, your leather shoes, the class pet); and metals and their products are Mineral (a piece of chalk, a metal desk, the playground slide). Any object that exists can be classified as Vegetable, Animal or Mineral (although some objects do have components of each category, keep it simple for this game).

To begin, the moderator thinks of an object and announces what category it falls into: Vegetable, Animal or Mineral. The aim of the game is for the students to guess what object the moderator is thinking of by asking no more than 20 questions. Appoint one student to tally the questions on the board as they are asked.

The questions must be worded so that they can be answered by a simple “yes” or “no.” (So, “What colour is the object?” is not an acceptable question and should not be answered or tallied.) If the object hasn’t been identified in twenty questions, the moderator “wins.” The teacher is the moderator at first, but as students gain skill with the game, the student who correctly identifies the object can become the moderator. Have each student moderator write the object they have chosen on a piece of paper and show it to you so that you know if the questions are being answered correctly.

You can begin with objects that are visible in the classroom and expand into subject areas and, depending on the sophistication of the students, into world issues. Encourage questions that narrow down the possibilities early in the game (e.g. “Is the object in the classroom?” rather than “Is it the globe?”). Students quickly learn to listen to the questions so as not to repeat them. Your rules about tallying repeat questions can become more strict as the students become more skilled. Eventually, you may be able to divide the class into groups and have several games going at the same time to increase participation.

Through modeling, impulsive behavior is minimized as the students develop questioning and listening behaviour. Among other learning skills, listening is improved through the high interest and flexibility of this activity.

Paul

Paul Ruta, M.Ed., Licenced Instructor/Consultant, Certified by the Educational Kinesiology Foundation, Ventura CA.
www.braingymcanada.com