English classes in Taiwan public elementary schoolsconsist of higher and lower achievement students in the same class. At times it causes a double-peak phenomenon. As a result, English teachers could design differentiated instruction to satisfy different students. Using the game-based activities is an efficient way to increase slower learners’ motivation. English teachers could create a more relaxing and interesting learning atmosphere by playing games with lower learners rather than drill practices which decrease their learning motivation easily. However, lowerslearners still could achieve the learning goals because they have to apply the vocabulary and sentence patterns in the process of playing the language games.

• Instructional objectives:Students are willing to join the activities in class and canrealize the meaning of vocabulary and sentence patterns to use them in achieving the goals of games.
• Language focus: Vocabulary and sentence patternsof the units
• Students’ background: Grade 4
  

Activity 1: “Ugly dolls”

• Teaching Materials:pokers orcards of target words of the units
• How to play:

1. Students write the target words on the cards. One word on one card and each word three times(cards).
2. Two to four students in a group.
3. Face down all the cards on the table.
4. Each student takes turns to flip over one card one time and read aloud the word.
5. Anytime three of the same words all showing on the table, every student races to grab the cards and reads aloud the word correctly.
6. If more than one student grabs the same cards, who make a sentence of the word first could keep the card.
7. When all the cards are turned over, the student with the most word cards wins the game.

Looking for the same letters.	Matching the capital and lower letters.

Activity 2: “Speed cups”

• Teaching Materials:20 cups. Four colors for each cups. A bell.
• How to play:

1. Students look at the assign card flipping over by teacher.
2. Work in pairs to pile the cups with assigned colors in order. One student reads aloud the colors while another student piles the cups.
3. The first pair to pile the cups in correct orders of colors and come to ring the bell wins the game.
   

Focus, speed, and cooperation are needed. Each pair is eager to be the fastest and correct one. Very exciting and enjoyable.	Teachers could apply the same rules of speed cups and re-design the target words based on the units.

Activity 3: “OSMO interactive game sets”

• Teaching Materials:iPAD, OSMO game sets.
• How to play:

1. Studentslisten to the game rules and set up the OSMO games.
2. Osmo tangram let students practice their space obstract thinking and also the colors matching.
3. Osmo words for phonics awareness to link the letter names with the letter sounds.
4. Students look at the pictures to spell the words.
   

Osmo tangram let students practice their space obstract thinking and also the colors matching.	Osmo words for phonics awareness to link the letter names with the letter sounds. Students look at the pictures to spell the words.

Activity 4: “SPY”

• Teaching Materials:pokers or cards of target words of the units
• How to play:

1. Everyone has a word card. Don’t show it to others till the end of the game.
2. The student who gets the card with a star is the spy.
3. Everyone walks around in class to ask and answer the sentence
   patterns.
4. Only the spy can tell a lie, the others must be honest to answer the question according to the word card.
5. Pairs who have the same word cards come to find the teacher to check their cards.
6. The one whose partner is the spy wins the game.
   

Teaching reflection:

Learning by playing is a practical way for students to learn by doing
actually.While playing the games, students are engaged in the process of using the target vocabulary and sentence patterns that helps them be more impressed with the language elements. Practices makes perfect. Students can learn with a lot of fun.