What makes Swift Tutors different?
How do we keep our students fully engaged in their learning with a laser focus and a constant thirst for knowledge?
Here at Swift Tutors we love learning through games. We know how well this works as they fully support the content and curriculum alongside our more traditional teaching approach. We would like to share 2 of our most loved KS2 interactive learning games. If you would like to learn the rules of the game – keep reading!
There are many benefits to incorporating games and activities into a lesson framework. Every member of the class is involved in the game is encouraged via the game/activity to think quickly, independently and accurately. These are all essential skills required at 11+ and for KS2 SATs.
Games can be a fantastic way to recap a topic or previously taught skill and reinforce it concretely in an interactive, engaging and dynamic way.
Another brilliant benefit of learning in this way is that it varies their learning style as it provides a welcome approach to learning that complements the more traditional reading, writing and demonstrating methods that we use. Learning should be an active, enjoyable and involve students in an engaging process of continual self development therefore introducing games as part of a longer two hour session can be highly effective for a number of reasons:
1.Games and activities can help to contextualize, challenge and test their prior learning by ensuring that their knowledge is embedded and actively being put to use in a variety of contexts.
2. Games can help students to understand what they have learnt in a written format which can be in the form of tests, quizzes and worksheets.
3. Active learning games can help pupils to develop a strong sense of confidence and self-esteem by verbalizing important information that they have learnt by providing spoken answers to questions within the game.
Here are 2 of our favourite games at Swift Tutors.
- Celebrity Squares 11 + Q and A which fosters healthy competition.This can be played in pairs, teams or individually according to the group size. We invented this hands on learning activity which can be used as a starter or a conclusion to the lesson to check for understanding of topic content covered within the existing or previous lessons. A key advantage of this game is that is consolidates learning and helps students stay fully engaged with their learning as they have to maintain a laser focus by listening for their peers’ answers and providing their own answers when selected. Students move one square towards a designated winning point which keeps them trying to move ahead and win the game. Pupils also take it in turns to sit with the tutor and devise their own 11+, maths and English questions based on what we have learnt together within the group. All students are intensely involved within the overall and individual learning process.
2. Times Table Bingo
Things you need:
• 12 Ping Pong Balls
• A permanent marker
The activity:
1. Select a times table (for example the 7 times table).
2. Choose which method you would like for Times Tables Bingo.
There are 3 main ways to play this learning game:
Method Number 1:
Write any times table on the ball up to 12. (e.g. 6 x 1 up to 6 x 12).
Method Number 2:
Write the product of a times table on the Ping Pong balls (e.g. 5 up to 60)
Method Number 3:
Write the division of the product by one factor on each Ping Pong ball (e.g. 5÷5 up to 60÷5)
When you have decided which version of the game you are going to play:
- Place these balls into a bucket/bag.
- Use large paper or miniature whiteboards to create a bingo grid for each pupil.
- Draw out a ball at a time and shout it out to the class.
- They then write what is on the ball and the answer on the bingo card.
- The winner will be the first pupil who successfully answers correctly by filling in all of their bingo card and shouts “BINGO” (prizes are optional).
An element of competition can be enhanced by setting a target based on who can complete the 3 variations of ‘Times Tables Bingo’ first.