English Teacher's Book of Instant Word Games [Paperback]

Ruth Rice (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 1992 | ISBN-10: 0876283032 | ISBN-13: 978-0876283035 | Edition: 1

A unique collection of over 200 fun, reproducible word games organized into seven sections covering Development of the English Language (Latin Phrases and Words from William Shakespeare) ... Grammar & Usage (Parts of Speech, Lie and Lay and Misplaced Modifiers) ... Punctuation (Which Punctuation Mark) ... Spelling & Pronunciation (Irregular Plurals and Palindromes) ... Names of People, Places & Things (Places with Colorful Names) ... Language as an Art Form (Euphemisms, Oxymorons and Echoic Words) ... and Miscellaneous Word Games (Expressions Using UP).

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Here's a unique collection of over 200 fun, ready-to-use word games and activities to introduce secondary English students of all ability levels to the sheer joy of word play while they practice and review a wide variety of skills.

You'll find these 5-to 15-minute activity sheets ideal for a variety of purposes— introducing or reviewing material...beginning or ending the class period... occupying students who finish their assignments early...helping individual students practice a particular skill...or simply providing a light moment in the classroom!

For quick access and easy use, these activities are conveniently organized into seven sections:

• Development of the English Language— 42 activities highlight the development of English, including Latin and Greek influences, changes in word forms and meanings, words from Shakespeare and others, and the spread of English across the world.
• Grammar and usage— 32 activities help build skills in parts of speech, sentence construction, fragments, misplaced modifiers, and more.
• Punctuation— 13 activities illustrate the uses of punctuation marks and demonstrate, often humorously, how punctuation can change meaning.
• Spelling and pronunciation— 36 activities help students learn spelling rules and their exceptions, and teach about synonyms, homonyms, anagrams, and more.
• Names of people, places and things— 17 activities make it fun for students to investigate the origins of surnames, place names, brand names, and more.
• Language as an Art Form— 22 activities teach literary techniques and devices, including figure of speech, symbolism, onomatopoeia, allusions, rhyme and rhythm, malapropisms, oxymorons, and euphemisms.
• Miscellaneous word games— 41 fun activities play with double meanings, idioms, and other features of the language, or tie into holidays and special events.

These games cover a wide range of difficulty and can be used with all students at different levels of learning. What's more, self-checking features in most of the games help students work independently, and complete answer keys are provided for the teacher.

The English Teacher's Book Of Instant Word Games provides you with over 200 of the kind of fresh, success-oriented activities that make it fun to practice a variety of language arts skills!

About the Author

Ruth Rice, a former classroom teacher, has authored more than 80 sets of educational materials and written numerous puzzles and games as a contributing editor to Scholastic Scope Magazine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (August 18, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876283032
• ISBN-13: 978-0876283035
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #925,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First Aid for English Teachers, April 25, 2000

By 

Kelly (Athens, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: English Teacher's Book of Instant Word Games (Paperback)

I highly recommend this book for teachers searching for the perfect way to fill those perilous few minutes after a test or before the bell on Friday. These activities allow students to think creatively and critically, and to draw upon other students' thoughts and suggestions. Because these activities are designed as games, my students absolutely love them. I offer them as extra credit; unlike a typical word search, these games have intellectual value. They focus on spelling, brainstorming, and creative writing skills, among others, but don't tell the students! They'd never believe that intense thinking and fun could co-exist!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Useful, April 24, 2000

By 

Michelle Bottomley (Casa Grande, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: English Teacher's Book of Instant Word Games (Paperback)

My students enjoy these activities. There are plenty of suggestions that are appropriate for my junior high classes, and many could be adapted for other grade levels. Keep this near your "Substitute Teacher" folder--it's a lifesaver!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous, witty, fun for both school & homeschool, September 10, 2003

By 

"Miss Mary" "lovetoteachhappierathome" (VA , United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: English Teacher's Book of Instant Word Games (Paperback)

I first came across this book in the library at the high school where I used to teach. I loved it so much I had to buy my own copy when becoming a homeschooler! Ruth Rice is intriguing, challenging (without a boring brain-drain), and enjoys a clever word-play wrapped in a smile. Such a combination of humor, insight into the language, and absorbing challenge is too good to pass up. I think you'll love Ruth Rice as much as I do! All activities are one page each, so this is easy to insert at the beginning of, end of, or any gap in a lesson. P.S. This is a better price than my school could get me, by about a $15 margin!