Change The Word

We know more than we think, because our long memory contains more information than the short one. If not motivated it is difficult for us to remember things stored somewhere deep in our memory. Your students will do their best to remember all their vocabulary if it helps their team to win.

1. Divide the class into teams of about 5-6 students.
2. Write a four-letter word on the board, for example 'TEAM'.
3. Each team, in turns, writes a new word underneath the previous one.
4. Each new word must change only one letter from the word which went before, and no repeats are allowed.
5. One sequence might be: 'team - beam - bear - beer - deer' - etc.
6. Any team unable to provide a suitable word loses points.
7. When no team can suggest a word, start again with a new beginning.
8. More advanced classes can be asked to produce words with five letters, although in this case they might need to change two letters of the word each time.