The Mystery Word

Do you really want your students to pay attention to your lesson? Here’s an idea that might help. Take a small box and write "Mystery Word" on the top. Tell the children to listen for a word that you will be repeating many times during the lesson. Tell them to be thinking about what the word might be because at the end of the lesson you’ll see if they can guess what the "mystery word" of the day might be. During the lesson the teacher should always use his or her normal voice and never emphasize the special word. The children will always be willing to share at the close of the class. Then open the box and show them the word. The kids will love the idea and will give you 100% attention. Winners can be given a small prize.

(This article appeared in the "Spring, 1991" issue of "The Herald.")