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Teaching
Ideas and Units - Beaut Ideas
Ghost - a spelling,
vocabulary and active listening game
A collaborative
game that students can enjoy in any English lesson
Steven
Figg first learned this game in 1981 and still plays it with his Grade
7 and 8 classes at Ogilvie High School. Once students become familiar
with the game, it can be played with a class in approximately ten minutes.
The game
Ghost encourages students to listen attentively, to spell accurately,
to develop their vocabulary, to think quickly and to cooperate with others.
It is a fun activity, which all students can play and enjoy. And
because there is also an element of luck in the game, weaker spellers
in the class can also win the game.
The
objective of the game is to add a letter to a given letter or string of
letters, without spelling a complete word, but knowing a word which
begins with the given letter or string of letters.
Student
A starts by saying a letter aloud; for example the letter S. Student B
must listen carefully and add a letter without spelling a complete word;
for example the letter T.If student B had added the letter O, he or she
would be out because he or she would have spelled the word SO. Whenever
a student is out, the game begins again with a new letter.
Student
C must listen carefully and add a further letter without spelling a complete
word; for example the letter A thus making the string STA. Student D could
add the letter R, thinking of the word START. In this case, student D
would be out because he or she has spelled the word STAR. Remember, whenever
a student is out, the game begins again with a new letter.
At
any stage, a student can challenge the previous student to provide a word
that begins with the string of letters that have been given. For example,
Student D may have believed that there are no words that begin with the
letter string STA and challenged Student C to provide one. If student
C can provide a word, for example START, the challenger is out. If student
C cannot think of a word, he or she is out.
The
challenge rule stops students from not listening and adding letters at
random.
Foreign
words, abbreviations, proper nouns and hyphenated words are not permitted
in Ghost.
Once
students become familiar with Ghost, they should only be allowed five
seconds to either add a letter or challenge.
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