Come on, get happy!

Hello, wonderful readers!

What would you say if I told you I had a fantastic teaching tip that you can implement tomorrow with little to know prep? Fine. I know what you'd say.

You'd say I knew you better than Ryan Gossling!

So, do you have English Learners?

Or, well, kids that breathe and eat things like food?

Well, this is for you! The little game is called Happy Talk.


This is a strategy I learned at a training about six years ago. It was actually a training for language acquisition, but I found that like most EL Strategies, this strategy was really just fantastic teaching!

I use it for so, so many things - vocabulary review for all subjects, story elements discussion, math practice for time, money, place value, fact practice, identifying parts of speech, making words plural, prepositional phrases... I've used it for just about anything and everything that I think needs reviewing!

I love that my kids are up and about.  I love that they are talking and using academic language.  I love that my kids are coaching each other.

Plus, it's just so stinkin' fun!

Here's how you do it:





You can see in the pictures that I've used math cards that I bought from Lakeshore (as part of a card game set), or I just write the words/problems onto index cards.  I've also typed up the words or activities and printed them onto cardstock.  It all depends on how much time you have to prep it.

The best part is that the students swap cards, and eventually are asked a question again.
That means lots of talking and lots of reviewing!

Hope you can use it! :)


7 comments

  1. Yay baby! I'm all over this. We are doing our Polar unit right now with vocabulary cards and I am going to do this manana! I will have our lil cherubs use their vocab cards and definitions and tawk amongst themselves. Love it!
    ~Christy
    Fluttering Through First Grade

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  2. Awesome! Love it... we are so doing this tomorrow. :D
    ❤Dragonflies in First ❤

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  3. I love this!! Thanks so much for sharing, Kate!

    {Off to search the house for index cards}

    Halle
    Across the Hall in 2nd Grade

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  4. This is a great idea! I love that it can be used for ANYTHING! What a great time filler! Thanks for sharing!

    Marcy
    www.saddleupfor2ndgrade.blogspot.com

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  5. This is a great idea. I'll be implementing this next week to review for our math test! thansk for sharing.
    Ms. Kerri and her Krazy Klass

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  6. I really like this idea. It's so very simple and interactive!
    ❀ Tammy
    Forever in First

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  7. Anonymous1/27/2013

    Such a great idea! I can't wait to play this game with my first graders. Thanks for sharing.
    Claire
    www.firstgradesmarties.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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