Vocabulary

Objective & content

This A1 word scramble covers food, transport, family and colours, with words such as banana (NANABA), bus and family. Each of the six rows prints a clue and the answer's jumbled capital letters, and students write the word in the last column. It is a spelling and recall task, so use it after the words have been taught. The answer key is on a separate page.

Pedagogical guide

Unscrambling makes students look inside a word, where beginners stop looking once they recognise its shape. The clue is the safety net: it narrows the answer before a letter moves. Three answers have only three letters (bus, red, sun): let weaker readers start there for a quick win.

Suggested procedure

1. (3 min) Read the six clues aloud without showing the sheet and let students call out guesses.
2. (10 min) Students work alone: they read the clue, then write the word in the last column.
3. (5 min) Check with the answer key: a student spells each word aloud in English while you write it on the board.
4. (5 min) Each student picks two words and says one true sentence with each.

Adaptations

[S] Give the first letter of each word, or read each clue aloud and offer the answer as a choice between two words.

[A] Students write one new clue and one jumbled word for a partner, then check each other's answers.

Materials & prerequisites

One printed sheet per student; keep the answer key page for yourself.