Teacher guide · Moon Hourglass

Classroom timer: how to use it with kids

A countdown the whole room can see, so “five more minutes” stops being an argument.

At a glance

Three ways to play it differently once the class knows the rules.

Beat the glass
Tidy-up race: turn the glass and see whether everything is put away before the gong.
Think time
One silent minute to think before any hand goes up, so the slower thinkers get there too.
Hold the sand
When the room gets loud, hold the sand; let it fall again once it is quiet. No words needed.

Word lists that suit it, with pictures and translations.

Interactive Game

A fox sleeps in the clearing and the microphone keeps watch. Stay quiet and he sleeps on; get loud and he wakes with a start.

Interactive Game

A painted carnival wheel with your class on its slices. Spin it, hear the ratchet slow, and a ticket prints with the lucky name.

Interactive Game

Tap the floating cube. It turns, a topic is engraved on the face it lands on, and you name three.

Interactive Game

A secret word arrives on a painter's palette and you draw it on a real easel canvas — brush sounds, paint-blob colours and a skylight for a timer.

Interactive Game · 3–10 min
Letter Forge
The letters come out of the fire scrambled. Strike them onto the anvil in order, and the word quenches in a hiss of steam.
Interactive Game · 5–15 min
Two Doors
One question, two great doors, one answer on each. The class votes, and the right door swings open into the light.
Flashcards
-og Word Family: Word List & Games for Kids
Short vowels: CVC families · dog, log, fog
Flashcards
Third grade
The last 41 Dolch words — together, myself, laugh. After these, it's just reading.