ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en" xml:lang="en"> <head> <title>DICEWORDS - a word building game for children and adults</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta name="description" content="Word building game for English language learning, numeracy and literacy for children or adults in education, people in hospitals, rehabilitation centres or care homes for the elderly."> <meta name="keywords" content="dicewords,dice,words,games,english,numeracy,literacy,number,word,building,vocabulary,dictionary,practice,exercises,English,language,learning,teaching,ESL,TESL,hospitals,rehabilitation,centres,care,homes,elderly,old,age,all,ages" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="style1.css" /> </head> <body> <div id="page"> <div id="top"> <div id="heading">Literacy & numeracy</div> <div id="subHeading">age 8 to 108 <a href="http://www.grahams-games.co.uk"><font color="#0000ff">www.grahams-games.co.uk</font></a></div> </div> <div id="navigation"> <ul class="nav"> <li class='active'> <a href="index.html">HOME - ENGLISH</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="literacy.html">Lessons by Level</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="lit00.html">Basic Literacy</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="first.html">Easy Reader</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="lev03.html">Class Handouts</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="games.htm">LANGUAGE GAMES</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="discuss.html">Discussion Topics</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="phrasal.html">Phrasal Verbs</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="adv00.html">Advanced Particles</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="clifford.htm">Advanced Reader</a> </li> <li class='active'> <a href="phono.html">PRONUNCIATION</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="l1all.html">Minimal Pairs</a> </li> <li class='active'> <a href="phonetics.htm">PHONOLOGY</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="esl0104b.html">Monophthongs</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="esl0105.html">Diphthongs</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="clustersindex.html">Consonant Clusters</a> </li> <li class='active'> <a href="teflresources.html">AUDIO &/or VISUAL</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="teflcourses.html">UK book recommendations</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="eltbooksus.html">US book recommendations</a> </li> <li class='active'> <a href="links.html">ENGLISH LINKS</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/redirect-home?tag=thehistorofbr-21&site=amazon">Amazon.co.uk</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/englishlangua-20">Amazon.com</a> </li> <li class='active'> <a href="teflindex.htm">TEACHING INDEX</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="ted.html">Ted Power</a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="tedcontact.html">Contact Me<br /><font color="#ff0000">What's New?</font></a> </li> <li class='inactive'> <a href="tedsearch.html">SEARCH ESL SITE</a> </li> <li class='active'> <a href="brightonindex.html">HOME BRIGHTON</a> </li> </ul> <div class="spacer">&nbsp;</div> <div class="spacer" id="navimage"></div> <div class="spacer">&nbsp;</div> <div id="navbottom">&nbsp;</div> </div> <div id="bodytext"> <p><b><a href="literacy.html">LEARNERS</a> | <a href="teflindex.htm">TEACHERS</a> | <a href="links.html">ENGLISH LINKS</a></b><font color="#ffffff">---------</font><a href="games.htm">Language Games</a> | <a href="lit00.html">Adult Literacy</a></p> <img align="center" src="dice03horizages.jpg"> <p><b>What is DICEWORDS and how do you play it?</b></p> <p>Each set of <b>DICEWORDS</b> contains nine dice with letters from the alphabet on all six faces which can be used to make words of up to nine letters. Each letter earns a score, which is marked on the dice. Teams can consist of individuals or two (or more) players on the same side. Players throwing for their teams use all nine dice. The team attempts to make words as long as possible using letters of the highest value. For each turn, each team has up to three throws. dice displaying letters (face upwards) which are useful in making the word may be retained, while dice displaying letters which are not useful may be re-thrown.</p> <p>For each turn (after three throws), a team's score is calculated by adding the letters (displayed face upwards) on the faces of all the dice used in making the word. This total is then multiplied by the number of letters in the word to give the score for that turn.</p> <p>The dice face with <img src="00.jpg"> is like a <i>joker</i> or <i>wildcard</i>. It can be used as any letter from the alphabet and may be helpful in completing a word or making a longer word. However, two points are subtracted before multiplying by the number of letters in the word. Before starting the game, teams agree on a dictionary containing all permitted words. Teams may challenge if they feel that players have failed to make permitted words. If the disputed word is not in the agreed dictionary, then nothing is scored for that turn.</p> <p><b>How to get the most out of DICEWORDS in the English language class</b></p> <p>To get the most language practice out of the game, each team should consist of two (or no more than three) players i.e. Two or three sets of <b>DICEWORDS</b> would provide very well for a class of 12 students. It does not matter if there is an odd number of students on any one side, so there is no danger of anybody being left out. Having more than one student on each side promotes discussion between players on the same side in the course of their throws of the dice. For the first throw, all nine dice must be used. The discussion task which follows will naturally involve deciding:</p> <ol> <li><b><u>which word to aim at</u></b> in order to use high-scoring letters &/or to achieve the highest multiplier by using as many of the nine dice as possible</li> <li><b><u>which letters to retain and which to throw again</u></b> after the first and second throws. A maximum of three throws make up <i>ONE SIDE'S TURN</i>.</li> </ol> <p>Further discussion often focuses on <b><u>how words are spelt</u></b> and <b><u>whether words are likely to be in the agreed dictionary</u></b>. Although modern English examinations focus increasingly on <i>language as discourse</i>, whether written or spoken, it does no harm to include activities which foster <b>a love of English words</b>, which get learners talking about them and using dictionaries (preferably English:English rather than bilingual ones).</p> <p>DICEWORDS is suitable <b>for all levels of language learner from post-elementary upwards</b>. It offers <b>Cambridge examination classes (intermediate to advanced)</b> opportunity to converse, engaging a little less formally between periods of <i>intensive study</i> but nonetheless practising aural/oral English, word building and use of an authorative reference such as <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fs%3Furl%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps%26field-keywords%3DAdvanced%2BLearners%2BDictionary&tag=thehistorofbr-21&linkCode=ur2&camp=1634&creative=6738"><b>Advanced Learner's Dictionary</b></a> (for focus on several meanings of the same word) or <a href="http://www.grahams-games.co.uk/accessories.html"><b>The Scrabble Dictionary</b></a> (for focus on spelling and whether the word exists in any meaning).</p> <p><b>All you need to play the game is the 9 dice and an odd or even number of people: easy to transport and can be set up instantly</b></p> <p>A clever design feature of <b>DICEWORDS</b> is its portability. Instead of having "triple letter scores" or "double word scores" marked on a large board, which would be cumbersome for learners and teachers to use in class, all the scores can be calculated mathematically by adding the points marked on the tops of the dice and by multiplying their sum by the number of dice used in the word.</p> <p><b>A game <u>for any age group (from 8 to 108)</u>, <u>easily transportable</u> and useful for <u>numeracy</u> as well as <u>literacy</u></b></p> <p><img src="0d.jpg"> <img src="0i.jpg"> <img src="0c.jpg"> <img src="0e.jpg"> <img src="0w.jpg"> <img src="0o.jpg"> <img src="0r.jpg"> <img src="0d.jpg"> <img src="0s.jpg"></p> <p>As well as word building, DICEWORDS provides very useful practice in numeracy (sums and tables). The language of computation is also a very important area of English vocabulary. Calculating the best scoring options plays a key part in the game and is therefore one of the main focuses of aural/oral communication between players.</p> <p>Many categories of user and a good ice-breaker for social occasions: the simple focus on arranging the dice to create the highest scoring words will get people talking and planning co-operatively</p> <p>Available from <a href="http://www.grahams-games.co.uk"><font color="#0000ff"><b>www.grahams-games.co.uk</b></font></a><font color="#ffffff">---------</font><a href="dicewords.html"><font color="#ff0000"><b>Top of Page</b></font></a></p> <p><a name="juggler"></p> <h1>Juggler</h1> <p><a href="http://www.grahams-games.co.uk"><img src="juggler.jpg" alt="Juggler Box"></a></p> <p><b>What is JUGGLER and how do you play it?</b></p> <p><b>JUGGLER</b> is a word game for 2 to 6 players, played on a table with a special deck of 70 alphabetic cards (one letter per card, with a score value - E is worth 1, J is worth 8 ...etc). The Juggler card deck actually consists of two decks, one of 22 vowel cards with red backs and faces, the other of 48 black consonant cards.</p> <p><b>Object/Overview</b></p> <p>A game comprises several  rounds . At the start of each round, each player is dealt just seven of the black consonant cards; the remaining cards are placed face down on the table as two decks (one red, one black). Players play in turns around the table in a clockwise direction. The aim is to build the best word you can in your hand by drawing and discarding cards. If you turn your whole hand into a word, you can then  declare , which means you stop the round, hoping to catch the other players with valuable cards they can t use.</p> <p>After a player has declared, everybody else has just one more turn in which to make the best of their hand. When play comes back round to the declarer, all the players place their hand of cards onto the table, announcing their word for that round and scoring the total face value of all the cards they have used for their word (minus the total face value of any remaining unused in their hand). The scores for each round are recorded on paper and when any player s running total hits 70 or more, the highest total wins.</p> <p>Download RULES <a href="http://www.grahams-games.co.uk/JugglerEnglishRules-A4.pdf">in English</a> | <a href="http://www.grahams-games.co.uk/JugglerRegles-A4.pdf"> in French</a> | <a href="http://www.grahams-games.co.uk/Juggler-Spielregeln-A4.pdf"> in German</a> |</p> <p>Available from <a href="http://www.grahams-games.co.uk/jg1.html"><font color="#0000ff"><b>www.grahams-games.co.uk</b></font></a><font color="#ffffff">---------</font><a href="dicewords.html"><font color="#ff0000"><b>Top of Page</b></font></a></p> </div> </div> </body> </html>