Language Card Games JoAnne Abrassart

Description

Ages: 8-13
Grades: 3-8

Practice and apply knowledge of antonyms, synonyms, multiple-meaning words, and idioms with motivating card games.

Language Card Games is made up of four decks of playing cards. Each deck contains 26 stimulus-pairs and 2 jokers. Students learn the target skills by matching hearts to diamonds (red to red) and spades to clubs (black to black). For example, if a synonym pair has the number 9 on both cards, it is a correct match only if the cards are the 9 of hearts and the 9 of diamonds or the 9 of clubs and the 9 of spades. Students can self-check to reinforce learning and still be engaged in a game-playing context.

Directions are included for four games: Make a Match (played like Go Fish), Concentration, Face-Off (played liked War), and Go Together. The decks can be combined as students become more proficient, giving the opportunity to work on multiple skills in one game. A pretest/posttest is included for each of the skill areas.

The words and phrases in each deck are arranged from easy to hard; the higher the card number, the harder the level. The four card decks with examples of their stimuli are:

• Idioms
• Beginning Level: You're putting me on/ You are kidding
• Higher Level: Keep an eye on things/ Watch to make sure nothing happens
• Synonyms
• Beginning Level: noisy/loud, home/house
• Higher Level: anxious/worried, confess/admit
• Antonyms
• Beginning Level: daughter/son, remember/forget
• Higher Level: strong/weak, liquid/solid
• Multiple-Meaning Words
• Beginning Level: exama test; a careful check of someone's health by a doctor
• Higher Level: bluff: a high, steep cliff; to try to fool people deliberately

COMPLETE KIT INCLUDES: 4 card decks (26 matched pairs and 2 jokers per deck), pretests/posttests, instructions, vinyl bag.

©2006