Top 12 Games Integrated into Elementary School Review Sessions That Teachers Should Know

Purpose: Practice and reinforce addition and subtraction skills within 10. Develop quick reflexes in students.

Preparation: No need to prepare any equipment.

How to play: The teacher asks, for example, '4 + 5 =?' (or '9 - 3 =?' or 'what is 0 plus 3?') and one student answers. After that, another question is asked (similarly) and another student answers. This continues until the teacher signals to stop. The designated student must answer quickly. If a student answers incorrectly, they face a penalty. Additionally, this game can be adapted to review various arithmetic operations depending on the class curriculum.

Purpose: Help students memorize multiplication and division tables (targeted for grade 3 students).

Playing time: 7 – 10 minutes.

Rules: Divide the class into two competing teams. The teacher will initiate the game by presenting a math problem, for example: 5 x 9, and points to a student from one of the teams. That student must immediately provide the correct answer. If the answer is correct, the student earns the right to 'electrically shock' another student from the opposing team. The chosen student then presents a math problem, for example: 50 ÷ 10, and points to a student from the other team who must quickly respond with the correct answer of 5, then 'electrically shock' back to the original team. The teacher and two assistants keep track of each team's results. At the end of the game, the team with the most students providing correct answers wins.

Note: If a student hesitates or fails to provide the answer immediately when given the opportunity, they lose the chance to answer and 'electrically shock' another student. The teacher will then designate another student to start.

Purpose: Foster teamwork among students. Help students memorize multiplication and division tables easily.

Preparation:

• 2 flowers with 5 petals each, each petal labeled with numbers (results of multiplication or division prepared by the teacher), with magnets attached to the back.
• 10 bee characters with math problems written on them, with magnets attached to the back.

How to Play: The teacher divides the class into 2 teams, each consisting of 4 students.

• The teacher divides the board into 2 sections, attaching a flower and 5 bees to each side of the board, not in order.
• Then, the teacher explains the rules to the students: there are 2 flowers on the board with petals containing the results of math problems, and there are bees carrying math problems looking for their correct results. The students' task is to help the bees find the correct results.
• The 2 teams line up, and when the teacher says 'start,' each student takes turns connecting the math problems to the appropriate numbers. The first student connects the first math problem, then passes the marker to the next student to continue until all math problems are connected. Within 1 minute, the team that connects correctly and faster wins.

Note: After playing, the teacher evaluates and asks additional questions to reinforce the lesson.

Purpose:

• Review previously learned knowledge while introducing new lessons.
• Enhance quick reactions, observation skills, accurate assessment, and time efficiency.
• Foster self-discipline and competition among students.

Preparation:

Teacher: Prepare a system of questions and answers.
Students: Correct and incorrect cards.
Organization: Divide the class into 4 corresponding teams, appoint 4 team leaders as referees and cross-monitoring, 1 secretary to record the results.

Duration: 4 minutes

Rules: The teacher introduces each question in turn, requiring students to use their cards (correct or incorrect) to answer only after the teacher has read each question completely. Any student who violates the rules is disqualified. After students answer the questions, the teacher provides the answer immediately for them to check their results.

Scoring: Each correct answer earns 10 points/student, while each incorrect answer deducts 5 points/student. The total score of each team is recorded on the board after each answer.

Questions may be related to the previous lesson to review before moving on to the new lesson.

Preparation: A rose, questions, and prizes (questions related to the previous day's lesson)

Rules:

• The game leader will set the rhythm of a song, and the whole class will sing along while passing the flower.
• When the song ends, the student holding the flower will answer the question hidden inside the flower.
• If answered correctly, they will receive a prize.
• If answered incorrectly, they will pass the opportunity to answer to another student who volunteers.

Note: Besides a rose, we can use a gift box and perform similarly. Then the game will be named: 'Secret Gift Box.'

• Teachers present the math problems with incorrect solutions on the main board (at an appropriate time during the lesson).
• Teams discuss for a few minutes to identify the mistakes in the solutions and propose ways to correct them.
• The team that identifies and proposes a correction the fastest will present their answer. If it's incorrect, subsequent teams have the right to answer until the correct solution is given, at which point the game stops.
• Teachers ask the teams with correct answers to point out the reasons for the mistakes to emphasize learning from them.
• The winning team is the one that quickly identifies the errors, explains the reasons for the mistakes, and corrects them.

Purpose: Reinforce and deepen knowledge, engage students in enthusiastic learning.

Preparation: No materials needed.

How to Play: Similar to tic-tac-toe. The teacher draws 16 or 20 squares on the board, with 4 squares vertically and 5 squares horizontally. The teacher fills in 20 random numbers, each corresponding to a predetermined question based on the lesson content. The class is divided into 2 teams, Team A marks with X and Team B marks with O. Each team selects a captain to choose a number square. The teacher marks the chosen square with the team's symbol and reads the corresponding question for the other team to answer. Finally, the team that aligns 3 symbols in a row shouts Bingo.

Ending the Game: Celebrate the winning team with a big round of applause.

Preparation: No preparation needed.

Game Rules:

• The game master shouts: 'Shoot the name, shoot the name' and the class responds: 'What name, what name'
• Then, the game master calls out the name of a student in the class and asks them a question to answer
• If answered correctly, the class applauds enthusiastically

Note: Questions may relate to previous lessons to review old material for students

• Each round consists of 2 teams A and B with the same number of players as the number of slips. Each team will choose a leader to manage their team's 'poetry dropping'. Two teams 'Rock-paper-scissors' to determine who drops the poetry first, assuming Team A is the poetry-dropping team.
• Each student in the team holds a slip of paper (kept secret), when they hear the signal 'start' from the teacher, Team A (the poetry-dropping team) sends someone to pass a slip to a student in Team B. The recipient must recite the entire stanza (or the entire line) with the word(s) written on the slip; if recited correctly, they earn 10 points. The student then drops the slip. The teacher tallies the total points of the team for the poem.
• Teams switch roles now, so Team B plays similarly as described above, then the teacher tallies the total points of Team B.
• At the end of the game, the teacher gives comments, praises, and awards a perfect 10 points flower to the winning team.

• Only one slip is dropped and given to each student in the opposite team once.
• The recipient must think and recite on their own; other students in the team cannot remind the recipient of the poem.

Purpose: Help students practice reading and reinforce listening skills for words they have learned, as well as recognizing word shapes. Enhance quick reflexes for students.

Preparation: No need to prepare any equipment.

How to play: The teacher has the whole class sit orderly in their seats, then introduces the game title and draws various shapes on the board, such as: circle, square, triangle, rectangle, diamond, ellipse,... Next, the teacher writes down some new words just learned inside the shapes. Then, the teacher has students stand in front of the board in a ready position. The teacher reads the new words one by one. Students standing in front of the board listen to the teacher and quickly slap the word.

Game Rules: Played in pairs, the teacher divides the class into two teams and assigns a name to each team. Each team takes turns sending one student to compete against a student from the opposing team. The two students stand in front of the board at a certain distance and listen to the teacher read, then quickly slap their hand on the word the teacher just read written on the board. Whoever slaps correctly and quickly earns 1 point for their team. Proceed with another pair competing until the teacher has read out all the words pre-determined.

Ending the game: The team with the most points wins, and the winning team receives a round of applause.

Note: This game can also be conducted as follows: select a proficient student to read out the words written on the board, and the teacher will have two students listen, recognize, and slap the shape with the word just read.

How to Play:

• The teacher presents a crossword puzzle with 15 horizontal and one vertical squares (this can vary depending on the teacher). Each horizontal square represents a learned topic along with a clue.
• Each participating team must raise a flag to earn the right to answer.
• The team that answers quickly and correctly earns 10 points.
• If a team answers incorrectly, the right to answer is passed to another team.
• The team that finds the word in the vertical square earns 20 points.
• The game ends when the word in the vertical square is guessed.
• The team with the most points is the winner.
• The teacher summarizes the points and praises or rewards the winning team.