How to Make a Ring the Bell Game for Kids

Index cards with written sight words create a fun activity.

Teaching children to read sight words using a game is an ideal way to create excitement for learning. Simple games like Ring the Bell give each student a chance to show off what they've learned and perform in front of their classmates. The Ring the Bell game teaches team-building skills while children learn to read.

Things You'll Need

• Bells
• Index cards
• Marker
• Prizes (optional)

Instructions

1. Print a list of sight words and send them home with your students at the first of the week. Use a mixture of words including those from previous lesson plans to gauge the effectiveness of past lessons.

2. Split children into two teams, three if you have a large class. Set a bell on a table for each team. Make an impromptu score board on the chalk board to keep score.

3. Print sight words on index cards. These are your game cards and children will draw from this stack during game-play. Laminate these cards to prevent damage.

4. Call a child from each team to come stand in front of their team's bell. Let each child choose a sight word and say it aloud. If the child can readily read the word they can ring the bell for their team and win a point. If the child struggles, the opportunity to win the point is missed.

5. Cycle through the words to give each child an opportunity to play. Ask children to spell the sight words or use them in a sentence for an additional point.

Tips & Warnings

• Give tootsie rolls or other small prizes as extra incentive.

• Rotate children to different teams so each child has the opportunity to be on a winning team.

References

• "Sabia's 100 ESL Games"; Sabia Sezen; May 2011