The Name Game

At the beginning of term, we need to get children to reconnect, and enable everyone in our class to interact and feel comfortable with each other. Some could be starting from scratch in a class where no one knows each other, or be joining a group of older children who have been together in previous years.

In both situations, barriers exist and time spent encouraging and enabling reconnection is an invaluable investment for the coming year
- not just reconnecting friends but also setting expectations and boundaries for an inclusive space, where everyone belongs and is connected with each other.

This might sound like tall order, considering all of the barriers that can prevent children looking at and talking to each other, but simple strategies and games can help bridge the divide and encourage children to behave and feel differently about and be able to work well together.

Instructions

Step One

1. Telling the class to help each other and work together, ask them to line up alphabetically by first name.  
2. To make this a bit more challenging and to get them working harder, you can tell them to do this without talking.
3. Ask everyone to check with the person either side of them that they are in the right place.  
4. Once they have done this, check down the line with each person calling their name out loudly to rest of group.
5. Even this short activity gets everyone working together, talking and making eye contact.

Step Two

1. You can take this a step further, by keeping the line intact but pairing off from either end.
2. Ask partners to face each other and tell them they have 2 minutes to share  information from a topic you give them, which could be:
   * The best bit of your summer holiday
   * Three things you have in common
   * Two things you don’t know about each other
3. Even with just a few minutes of interacting in this way, you are building relationships and providing a safe space where the children can take risks and connect.

Good luck!  Do email and let me know how you and your class get on and please send us your ideas and tips for how you bring your class together and getting to know each other.   We'll put the best ideas and suggestions up on this page and pick one out of a hat for a free pack of animal cards for their class.

WWO Classroom Support Materials

We've a great range of classroom support materials that can help you to get children talking, interacting and working well together. Each pack comes with a range of instructions and ideas for how to use them.

For getting children into groups we have

• Alphabet Cards
• Shapes Cards
• Animal Cards

 And for rewarding good work and success we've a fantastic range of Stickers.

You can place an order on-line and if you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact Cathy Ota either on 07817 363193 or via cathy@cathyota.com