Generic Drills

These simple drills can be used constantly and quickly throughout class to make students behavior, and attention be at its best at all times.  These drills, if used properly create a peer motivating environment that will make your class run much more efficiently, instantly.  These drills can be used for many different subjects of teaching English.  (Reading, Grammar, Vocabulary, Questions and Answers, Phonics, spelling…)

The motivating factor behind these drills is that students that participate properly are dismissed (But continue to participate and or pay attention). If a student is not participating in a positive way, then they (or a person from their team) must partake in the drill again.  In this way, drills will continue until the entire class participates in a positive way.  Even the worst class that is exposed to this the first time learns quickly that in order to move on they must all participate in a positive and efficient way.  Otherwise, the drill that should take 2-5 minutes can last an eternity.  If students are continually not behaving properly and must join the drill again and again,  students (not the teacher) will become increasingly frustrated.  Children will push fellow students to act appropriately in order to finish quickly in order to partake in a game.

Move as a Team or Class:
Students start the drill in one place.  (in the pictures they start all seated in their chairs)  When they do some thing well in the class they may move to the floor.(This could be repeating vocab or sentences loudly, answering a question, reading, anything) When a team is all on the floor they are the winners and may play the board game.  OR more efficiently, when the entire class is on the floor the teacher chooses a student from each team to play paper scissor stone to see who plays the board game.  
*If at anytime a student is not participating in the lesson, or misbehaving have that student or a student from their team move back to the starting position.  This keeps all students on their toes and participating even after they have "finished" and are seated on the floor.
*This drill can be made into a 2 step simply by then having students work to return to their chairs after all have made it to the floor.

Class Speed Line:
Students stand on a line facing the board.  The teacher points to vocab and either has students say the words, or do translations.  After every few words the teacher can choose the student that is saying the words the fastest and the clearest to sit down.  When all students are on the floor the drill is over.  One student from each team can play paper scissor stone to play the board game.  
*If a student does not continue to participate while sitting on the floor they must stand up and continue until they are chosen to sit on the floor again.  
*The teacher can point to words to queue students to say words, or even better, The teacher says a word from the board and the students must find that word but say the word directly under it.  This pushes reading more as they must first find the original word and say the word directly under it.

Team vs. Team Line:
The two teams make a line in front of the teacher.  The two front students race to say whatever the teacher is teaching. (It could be vocabulary as in the picture, questions and answers, anything)  The student that does the best wins and may sit down, the other student must go to the end of the line to play again.  This allows students that need more practice the chance to play multiple times.  Also if students are not sitting nicely and quietly you may ask them to get back in line to make sure everyone is behaving.  The drill is done when one team is all sitting down, or the class is all sitting down.  Their is an obvious winner in this as one line will finish first, so that team can play the board game.
*If doing vocabulary, be sure to have the 2 children participating go through 3-6 words before you decide a winner.  If the teacher only does one flashcard this drill is not a very effective teaching drill.
*If a mistake is made by the students, stop and have all repeat the correct way of saying whatever had been mistaken.  If a student that is seated(and finished) does not repeat the mistake, have that student enter the line again.
*This allows the teacher to see what students are having difficulty saying, as only 2 children are speaking at a time.

Class Line:
The entire class makes a line and must do something one at a time.  This could be saying flashcards, answering questions, making grammar sentences…  If a student performs well they may sit down.  If the student makes a mistake they must go to the end of the line.  If a student makes a mistake the teacher should correct them, then repeat it loudly so that all students can then repeat it correctly together.  When all students are seated the drill is over and the class can play a game.  If while having the class repeat something together one of the students is not repeating it, have them enter the line again.
*This drill should be used to quickly fine tune students pronunciation.  Only students that are relatively perfect may sit down.

Standing to Sitting:
Students would rather be sitting than standing.  To push kids to quickly do a drill have students stand up.  If they are doing well allow them to sit on the floor or return to their seats.  Good way to motivate some quick action from a tired or sleepy class.

Team to Team Back and Forth:
Have each team stand up to attempt to complete an english act together.  The teams must speak clearly, do actions, and focus together.  If one student is not perfect, the other team stands up to attempt.  The first team to complete the drill perfectly is the winner.  
*This can be used with vocab, saying 6 new words
*This can be used with saying a question and an answer
*This can be used with the teacher asking 3-5 questions and students must answer correctly together 
*This can be used with reading passages
*Students must be perfect in order to win, in this way, both teams go back and forth many times until all have done it together perfectly.

Finger Points:
While having students drill anything, The teacher will give points represented by fingers to the teams that are doing well.  When a team reaches 5 finger points they are the winners.  If a student is not participating or misbehaving then finger points can be taken away.  This can and should be used anytime students interest or energy levels are dropping.  
*More fun if finger points are given and taken away many times.
*The teacher should be sure to award finger points in a timely fashion so that the drill is not to short, or too long.
*With longer grammar type drills games to 3 finger points can also be done