Pick the Practice
Use any assignment or review: worksheets, IXL, review questions, or anything that fits your lesson.
A simple way to make classroom practice more engaging.
Games weren't just something we did after the work was finished. They were part of how we got the work done.
When I taught middle school math, we often alternated between lesson days and game days. The next game day gave students something to look forward to and a reason to practice independently. During lessons, students could even earn tokens or classroom money to buy extra game turns.
On game days, small checkpoints helped students move through independent practice while earning turns for their teams. The games motivated the practice instead of replacing it.
You can use this approach with any subject, assignment, or schedule. Here's how to get started.
Turn everyday practice into a reason to keep going. Students work toward checkpoints, earn team game turns, and head right back to learning.
Use any assignment or review: worksheets, IXL, review questions, or anything that fits your lesson.
Choose a small amount of work, such as 2–4 questions, 10–20% of an assignment, or whatever works for your class.
Students show you their completed work, and you check their answers.
When students meet the checkpoint, they earn a turn to play the game for their team.
Students complete the next checkpoint to earn another turn. Repeat until time is up!
The game motivates the practice — it doesn't replace it.