Sparkle Game: Teaching Spelling Has Never Been Easier!

Try teaching a bunch of 8-year-olds to spell the word ‘PHILHARMONIC’, without burdening them with phonetics rules and theories. Yea, good luck with that! Thank God there are fun games used for teaching skills! 

Let’s face it, spelling words can be a bit of a drag for some students, teachers, and parents… as long as you have the wrong tools. But don’t worry, eTeamBuilding’s got your back! There are plenty of cool ways to jazz up spelling word practice, like playing games in class or doing fun worksheet activities. With a few clever ideas, you can make spelling word practice an enjoyable experience for everyone involved, and say goodbye to those complaints once and for all!

The Sparkle game, for example, is an excellent choice! Not only does it not require any materials or prepping in advance, but it’s also a group game that has no limit on the number of players. What are you waiting for? Let’s teach you how to play Sparkle!

Setting up the Sparkle game

Sparkle game is great because it does not take too much to get your players’ heads in the game. It’s perfect for indoor play, a fun addition to a camping game for the kids, a great outdoor activity for families, or a fun distraction for a backyard hangout with friends. And that’s not all – you can even take it to the virtual world with the Sparkle game. If you’re involved in a remote collaboration and you’re teaching online, you can use Sparkle as a Facetime activity to have your classroom achieve and enhance their language skills! Fun times are waiting for you, no matter where you are. 

To set up the Sparkle game, you need to:

1. First, gather everyone in a circle or line. 
2. Then, make sure everyone knows the rules before starting because the Sparkle game moves fast! It is essential to explain the rules clearly, and if needed, you can even hold a practice round. 
3. Lastly, choose someone to be the word master. That can be you – the parent or the teacher – or you can choose one of your players. The word master can either come up with words on the spot or have a pre-made list ready to go. 
4. After that, you’re ready to sparkle and have a blast! 

The Sparkle game: Rules

Time to learn how to play Sparkle! Don’t worry, it’s super easy and tons of fun. Here’s what you need to know:

1. First off, decide what kind of game you want to play. You can use a memory verse, a word, or even a math problem – it’s up to you! Just make sure the word you choose is appropriate for the age range and spelling abilities of your group. If you’re playing with a class, you can use words from their current vocabulary unit to keep things moving.
2. Next, gather everyone in a circle or line facing the same direction. This will make it easy to keep the game flowing in a clockwise direction. And don’t forget to make sure everyone can hear each other!
3. Once you’re all set up, it’s time to start spelling! Announce the first word and use it in a sentence so everyone knows what it means. Then, choose the first player to start spelling. He/she must say only the first letter of the word. For example, if the word is ‘PHILHARMONIC’, the first player should say the letter ‘P’. If they get it right, the game moves on to the next player. If they get it wrong and say something like ‘F’, they are out of the game. 

*Note: If someone gets eliminated from the game, be sure to give them a reassuring pat on the back and let them know that they’ll have another chance to play soon. We want to keep everyone happy and excited, so no need to get upset. It’s all part of the Sparkle game experience!

4. When it’s the next player’s turn, give them a friendly nudge and prompt them to say the next letter of the word. *In our case, that’s ‘H’ – ‘PHILHARMONIC’. Remember, we’re spelling out challenging but not impossible words, so keep the excitement up. If a player gets their letter wrong, don’t worry, they can still cheer on their friends and wait for their next chance to play.
5. Keep going until the word is complete.
6. The player who is next must shout out ‘Sparkle’! If they don’t do so, they will be out of the game. 
7. Speaking of being out of the game, the player sitting next to the person who said ‘Sparkle’ must be eliminated, to allow the game to go faster. But don’t worry, they’ll have another chance to join in later.
8. We’re not done yet, and there’s still plenty of spelling fun to be had. It’s time for a new word. Name the next person in the circle to give the first letter. He/she should be sitting to the right of the player who was eliminated last.
9. Keep following the same order and rules. 
10. The winner is the last player standing.

That’s it – easy peasy! Get ready to sparkle and show off your spelling skills.

Sparkle game: Variations

The Sparkle game is not just limited to spelling. You can switch it up and apply it to other disciplines such as physics, chemistry, math, or logic. It is a super fun way for your players to review what they have just learned or to explore new information. 

You can even use it as a singing game! Just teach everyone a song or a memory verse, and assign different parts for players to sing or recite. For example, you could sing ‘Happy Birthday’ and each player would sing a different line until the song is complete.

Skills and abilities

The Sparkle game challenges quite a few of your players’ skills! 

• Since it’s fast-paced, it requires total focus. The players must constantly listen to each other and be ready to speak at any time. 
• It tackles their sharpness. In our example – the one with ‘PHILHARMONIC’ – a player might get it wrong and miss the second ‘H’. Here’s where the next player’s intelligence is being tested.
• It tackles their spelling, vocabulary, and listening skills.

Playing the Sparkle game not only helps students to practice language skills, but it also teaches them important social abilities, like how to be a good sport and take turns. Plus, since there’s a bit of luck involved in the game, it can be a fun and unpredictable experience for everyone involved!