4. Random numbers Students should now be ready to shout out numbers in English with
no delay. They can compete to be the first person to shout out the number that the teacher holds
up (and so get that number of points), the first person to write the number that the teacher says,
or the first person to choose the bigger of two numbers that are flashed up.
5. Number word recognitionIf you have students who have a different alphabet to
English or who haven‘t learnt to read and write in their own language, as you teach steps 1 to 4
above you should also work on them being able to recognize and then write the number words.
Fun practice includes choosing the biggest number on the table to score the most points, shouting
―Stop‖ as the teacher shuffles through a pack of cards to get the biggest number, putting mixed
up number word flashcards back into number order, and spelling out number words from
magnetic letters to get that number of points.
6. Basic mathsLike Number Word Recognition, adding and subtracting numbers is
something that could be gradually introduced over earlier stages to add a bit of variety and
logical brain work to numbers practice. A fun way of doing it is to make students challenge each
other, e.g. making a longer and longer string of additions and subtractions going around the room
until someone says ―equals‖ and the next person has to give the total.
7. First second thirdYou can also introduce ordinal numbers earlier at least for
understanding by saying which team or student is first, second etc in every classroom activity.
When you introduce it properly later as something for students to produce, you can do it with a
flashcard memory game (―What is the first card?‖) or a trivia quiz (―Who was third in last
season‘s F1 championship?‖). Typical student problems include the pronunciation of the extra
syllable in twentieth, thirtieth etc.