The Clara James Approach

A really simple game that I often use to help support times tables (letter formation, grammar, quotes, other maths problems, etc).
Draw the noughts and crosses grid: 2 horizontal lines crossed by 2 vertical lines.
Fill each square with a number from 1-12 as appropriate.
Now pick the times table that you would like to multiply by.
The first person chooses their square and multiplies the number written in it by your chosen times table.
The next person then has their go and does the same.
As in any game of noughts and crosses, the goal is to claim 3 squares in a straight line before the other person does.
It's quick, easy, and a really simple way to get some times tables practice in.

I am a firm believer that if we can support a child with their confidence and their self belief, the rest will start to follow

For anyone off camping this summer, this wordsearch is for you.

Enjoy!

Camping
tent
Campfire
Pitch
Campsite
Sleeping / bag
Outdoors

I just asked Google for a "tank maze" for a lesson later. A lad I'm working with loves military transport .

The images it gave me were for fish tanks.

In my mind my request was perfectly clear, yet actually it was fairly ambiguous...

I guess I need to make my self clearer. Today's lesson learned!

If you did want a wordsearch today, here are 8 Greek Gods for you to find.
Enjoy

learning

Another word search because, why not?

This time the words are all based around the sunshine. How many can you find?

(I think the heat is going to my head, I have spelt so many words wrongly trying to write this post!)

I love this. It started years back when I was helping a lad extend his vocabulary. The idea is that you have 5 minutes (which can be adapted to suit). During that time you need to think of 3 words for each category. The idea of the timing is partly to make it more of a challenge, but it also gets kids used to working against the clock, in a more relaxed, "fun" way.

It's not meant as a test, just a bit of fun. There are no wrong answers, but compare at the end and see what different/similar things you came up with.

Enjoy and "enjoy" the sunshine!

I feel with it as warm as it is, I would make a word search that was relevant to the weather (very British!). Hidden in the wordsearch are a selection of ice-creams.

How many can you find?

I have to say Tesco's mint chocolate ice-cream has to be favourite. How about you?

One of the first lads I ever worked with, our goal was to extend his vocabulary. Yesterday, I was playing the 5-minute-snakes-and-ladders game with someone, which is basically a mash up of the 5-minute challenge and snakes and ladders.

In the 5-minute challenge you have a list of 12 categories, and 5 minutes to try and think of 3 words that fit for each category: with adjectives starting with C, countries starting with C, 3 farm animals, etc.

In the snakes and ladders version instead of having 5-minutes we just had the categories written on the squares of the board, each time you land on a square you need to think of 3 words in the same way, but you’re not against the clock.

I don’t know how many times we landed on ‘warm weather’ (3 alternative ways to describe warm weather) but each time we did, the challenge got greater as you’re not supposed to use the same word twice. We laughed and laughed some more as our brains started to break under the pressure.

If you have a go, I hope you enjoy it.