OHP Tips

Many of the activities below can be enhanced by using them as team activities. This gives you a mechanism to stop pupils shouting out and allowing the quieter ones to answer.

 
Numbers & Letters When introducing a set of pictures on the OHT, make sure each one is numbered. This makes it easier to identify each one. Having introduced pupils to the sound/picture connection, the next phase should then be to ask 'what number is .....'. The 3rd phase is then for you (or another pupil) to say the number and another pupil to give the word.
Supremacy of the visual/aural When introducing new vocabulary, it is important, especially in the early stages, to introduce the word visually and orally/aurally. Delay the introduction of the written form as long as possible.
Which of two? Once you have introduced a set of words, another consolidation activity can be to display a picture and give pupils a choice of 2 words. 'Is it a dog or a cat?'
Répète si c'est vrai Display a picture. Say various words. Pupils only repeat if it's the correct one.
Qu'est-ce qui manque? Version 1: Display a set of pictures. The pupils watch you take one away. They say which one it was. Version 2: Display a set of pictures. One pupil has to turn round. Take one away. The pupil turns back and has to say which one is missing.
Keyhole Put a picture on the OHP with the OHP light off. Cover it with a piece of paper. Switch on. Gradually reveal the picture. Pupils say the word as soon as they recognise the picture. This appeals to boys in particular, so you will need to find ways of encouraging the girls, perhaps by asking for alternating girl-boy answers. You can also use a piece of paper with a small hole or window.
Eclair Put a picture on the OHP with the OHP light off. Quickly switch the light on and off. Pupils have to say the word. A good test of concentration, reactions and memory.
Matching Pupils match cut up words to cut up pictures. See how many they can do in 30 secs. This can be fiddly as small bits of transparencies can be hard to handle and can get lost. Make your pieces fairly big. Ensure any writing presented on the OHP is at least 16 point.
Pictionary Can be played on the board or on the OHP. Pupils enjoy drawing pictures for others to guess.

Noughts & Crosses/Blockbusters/Staircase/
stepping stones

 

All these are valid, effective and motivating vocab-reinforcement activities. See Class Acts page for explanations.
Collect words Put a set of pictures on the OHP. A volunteer comes out to the OHP and points to each picture and names as many as possible. For each correct one, the pupil 'wins' the picture. See how many correct pictures they can collect.
Guess Hide a picture on the OHP under a piece of paper. Pupils have to guess which one it is. Give them a time limit or a maximum of 5 guesses. Make sure no-one sees the picture as you hide it.
Context As for 'collect words' above. Pupils only collect the picture/point if they use it correctly in a particular context - I like, I don't like, I have, I buy/ bought/lost/ etc. You specify the context.
Silhouettes Pupils enjoy drawing their own pictures which can be used on the OHP. Shapes and silhouettes can also be used for topics such as : animals, transport, head, body, house, weather, furniture, countryside. Pupils can display their silhouette-shapes and present the vocabulary. Or, others can name the vocabulary as the creator points to his/her shapes. This also works well as a pair activity - pupils make the shapes and practise the vocabulary in pairs.
Writing: Gap fill The OHP is perfect for practising gap-fill activities. You can make this quite physical by actually having the words cut out and available to put into the gaps. Make sure that the font is large enough - at least 16 point. Encourage the pupils to generate their own alternatives to the gapped words. Use the task to reinforce specific grammar aspects: verb-forms, tenses, adjective-agreements etc.