Learning English through Riddle and Tricky Question

Learning English through Riddle and Tricky Question

Lesson is a boring stuff for Kids

Most students do not like to participate on ask and answer session in our class, especially when they think the subject is such a boring and also hard for them to digest. That’s seemed to be the problem I could see in Indonesia. For some kids lesson is such a horrible matter to them.

That case is very disappointing for teachers to start a lesson. I think an ice breaker would be an effective way to get rid of that feeling toward lesson. And what is the best ice breaker for kids?

Well one answer for sure is using a tricky question before opening the book.  I am not using any book for references when teaching English. This gives me a broaden opportunity to have a various activities for the class. Of course, I have planned my activities based on the daily lesson and continuous lesson which is done in a serial. One of my menus for the firsts ten to fifteen minutes of my lesson is by using tricky questions. Riddle itself is one of the kinds.

How do I do that?... can it be such an effective material or else to enhance my student’s capability in English? Or will it be such a time wasting for class activity? Well once again, I am lucky. I am not only teaching English as foreign language but also in our curriculum for English subject, it is more like teaching English as secondary language. It means that most of my students are English literate. So by using riddle may be the best answer to the problem of lacking interest for class learning activity. 

In my personal opinion, using riddles as an ice breaker, the students learn and get many things. What are there? These are what the kids will get.

• They review their vocabulary bank or getting new vocabulary as enrichment.
• They also practice their listening skills and speaking ability.
• They fond to use their mind or think deeper to solve the riddle.
• They also try to think out of the box and improve their creativity when solving the riddle.
• They also learn to decide their classmate’s answers whether right or wrong by using a simple True or False method based on the clues.
• Some riddles are also using others lesson thinking skills like counting, basic science and social study so they learn how to apply what they have learn in this case.

 Interesting Performance

One Fact: Not everybody can perform this interestingly ..  I think it is because he doesn’t help the kids to solve the problem or maybe the way we perform the riddle to kids is not interesting enough. So how do I do so that my students love this session so much?

Here the tips:

• You have to master what riddle you will tell to them completely so you can decide what the best or interesting point of your riddles. Ask the class one or two questions related to the riddle you want to give them before giving them the riddle.
• Write the keys words ONLY on the board while you tell the riddle orally. Make them pay attention to your clues. Ask them to close their book and stop doing any activities instead of “being with you”. When you have finish writing down the key terms ask the kids to read the all the clues or words altogether.   
• Suggest the synonym when you think they don’t get the meaning of the particular vocabularies for the clues.
• Get the respond by asking the meaning of each clue in case knowing that they already understand every meaning of the vocabulary. You can use a simple expression “Now do you understand the meaning of …?”
• Give only five chances to the class for the best answer for your riddle. One chance is for each student so they will use their chance wise fully.
• Write down every answer on the board.
• Do not judge their answer WRONG directly although their answer is wrong. Let them decide by themselves. Give facts to the kids who give the answer to correct his answer. 
• When you find out there isn’t correct answer or any closer answer, give a hint and give two more chances. This will make them feel that you help them.
• Give the answer in the end.  Justify your answer to every clue  of the riddle.
• Give them time to laugh although no answer is correct. Give a reward of their participation. I usually give one point for the first five students who give the answer and three or five points for the CORRECT answer.

Right let’s begin the online Workshop of giving riddle as my own style. As information, most of my riddles are from the webs. One of them is from www.riddlenuts.com

First riddle = 2 fathers 2 sons and 3 fishes

 

I will use these kinds of expressions.  I will ask one or two kids about their hobby:

“Anybody loves fishing? Raise your hand please.”

“Where do you go for fishing?”

“How many catches do you catch on one fishing times?”

Those expressions are for a class in general. Others I would like to use these expression no matter what grades they are:

“Anybody love math? Raise your hands please.

“Can everyone in the class do division correctly?”

“How about you, two times two is …?

“Six divided by two equals?...”

“Excellent. Help me to do this one okay”

I will start telling the case of the riddle. One or two times until they all understand what I am saying. While I tell them the riddle orally I write some of the key words with its synonym if it is necessary on the board. It is shown on the picture. And do exactly as the tips.

I emphasize on the expression “is it possible?.. Is it possible that three fishes divided equally among two fathers and two sons?... equally!!..” I bet you kids will get astonished and you know how their mimic are when having something wrong but they don’t have guts to say it.

Then I will ask them…”How many people are there” I bet they will answer FOUR! So I will repeat one more and ask again the same question slower and clearer?.. they will answer FOUR!!! By this time WRUTE DOWN the number 3 big enough on the board. Now, they will get more surprised and SHOCKED!!!  

Then  I will explain two them about “Two fathers and two sons” by drawing  a family connection from father and son and grandfather. I will not tell them directly but just ask them “NO do you understand?” and finally ask them “three fishes divided by three men equals…?

Interesting isn’t?

Why don’t you try to tell this one two you kids. You may use the tips above mentioned.

Have a great start for Lesson!!!