This game can be incorporated during Read Aloud and Shared Reading sessions. Students demonstrate their comprehension of spoken language as they interpret various texts read aloud. The game allows students to use pitch and inflection to convey meaning and improves concentration and listening skills.
Materials:
– a narrative text that includes repetitive names, phrases, events (e.g., The Very Cranky Bear, Chicken Licken, A Lion at Bedtime, The Little Red Hen, etc.)
Grouping: whole class
Playing the Game
- Read the text aloud with expression and enthusiasm. Discuss the characters, events, problem, and solution in the story.
- Have students sit in a large circle.
- Allocate different actions/sounds/words/sentences to different people or events in the story. For example, using the Read Aloud text, The Very Cranky Bear, the following ‘antics’ could be assigned:
- Jingle Jangle Jungle – stand tall, arms above head, sway arms while saying “Jingle Jangle Jungle”
- Moose – hands wide-spread by head and chanting “marvellous, marvellous, marvellous”
- Lion – hands sweeping through hair saying “I’m so gorgeous.”
- Zebra – arms laying across body and make stripes down body and whispering “fantastic, fantastic, fantastic”
- Sheep – baaing the words “plain, plain, plain”
- Bear – roaring a cranky “ROAR”
- sleep – hands with palms together and head laying on hands, making a snoring sound
- Discuss how pitch and inflection make a difference to the meaning in the story (e.g., saying “marvellous” in a dull, tired voice versus using an excited, enthusiastic voice).
- Practise the ‘antics’ a few times with the class.
- Read through the text slowly and have students respond with the assigned actions/sounds/words/sentences.