This easy and extremely versatile vocabulary dice game is suitable for all levels and age groups of English learners. It is a great idea to revise vocabulary and might be used as a warm-up activity or to conclude the class. All you need to play it is a list of words you would like your students to revise, sheets of paper, pencils, and some dice.
The Task
Prepare a list of words you would like your students to revise, make it between 6 and 12 items long. Divide your class into pairs or small groups and distribute one sheet of paper, one pencil, and one dice per group. Students take turns to roll the dice, and depending on the number they roll, they need to do the following:
1,2 – write down the word
3,4 – use the word in a sentence
5,6 – spell the word
Each word is being said twice by you after each time your students roll the dice (this way they won’t forget the word or won’t be distracted by the dice which will save you some time and trouble repeating the word again). Keep the rules visible on the board, but don’t write the word down anywhere. Students might keep score to spice the game up. Make sure to listen to your students closely and encourage them to correct their peers. This game is a great opportunity to teach your students to detect and correct errors. Go through some problematic words at the end of the game.
Depending on your students’ level and words you want them to practice, you may vary the instructions:
a) give a synonym / antonym of the word you hear
b) say what part of speech the word is (useful for Cambridge exams revision!)
c) give the definition of your word
d) show /draw your word (great for younger learners!)
Personal Experience
I have successfully used this vocabulary dice game with many groups of kids, teens, and adults I have taught. It is dynamic, fun, requires no preparation, and helps revise and practice any given vocabulary set. Most of my students have usually enjoyed a little bit of competition which helped a lot with peer correction. I have been frequently using it with lower-level adult learners as it gives them a great sense of progress and achievement (especially when it comes to spelling!).
Are you interested in more vocabulary games? Take a look at Pass the Bomb and Vocabulary Mingle.
Very good game idea. Do if I understand correctly, the list of vovabulary words is given one at a time orally by the teacher and there’s no speaking by the students just writing the answers on a paper. So the teacher then collects the papers for scoring? Or does he/she move around the classroom casually looking over the results?
I guess both options would work, depending how much emphasis you want to put on competition.