Teaching Past, Present, and Future Verbs!

The developers of "Birds on a Wire" and "Slam Dunk Grammar" apps, Electrokite, has done it again!  They have an app that helps students identify and understand the difference between past, present, and future tense verbs!  Introducing, Cosmic Bowling!

This app follows the same layout as their other apps since they were developed orginally for an interactive white board.

Students are provided with a visual and introduction of the different verb forms.  You can get to this by clicking the "light bulb" icon.

By clicking the "game controller" you will be brought to the drilling game.

Just as the title suggests, this app has a bowling theme.  Students are presented with a sentence with a verb form included  They must select the correct bowling bowl and put it on the "target."  If incorrect, they are prompted and are allowed to try again.  If correct, they are rewarded by watching the bowling ball roll down the lane and hit the pins!  Go to the next sentence by hitting the arrows.  Since this app was created originally for a white board, you can always click the "pencil" and underline the verb for the student, write hints, or keep score.

If you click the "paint":

This provides students will an opportunity to use the verbs independently (or with models and prompts).  They are given verbs along the top and lines.  They can write the sentences they develop.  The bottom has "blank tiles" where you can write words of your own for them to use.  Other suggestions, you can write cloze sentences for them and have the student fill it in with the correct form of the words in the "word bank." 

At all times, if the students require prompting, you can click the "key" icon and they will be presented with a hint!

This is great for teaching students to ask for assistance and recognize the benefits of visual cues. 

Things I like about this app:

• motivating theme
• easy to use
• visuals
• opportunity to address receptive and expressive
• many opportunities to drill this difficult skill that is very important for students to understand
• relates to common core standards

Things I would like to see in future updates:

• multiplayer options
• score keeping
• a way to see how many sentences were used and how many more are left (to help with planning)

Electrokite was extremely generous and provided me with 5 codes of this great app to giveaway!!  Enter to win below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I love to have non-iPad activities that go along with all of my apps.  I created a fun download that works on this same skill.

What does this download include?  It has sorting cards for students to sort the various verbs into the different forms.  Can they identify the endings or how they are used? 

Once understood, it is time to play and practice!!

Students play this game by drawing a card and reading the cloze sentence.  Can they identify which form from the choices can complete the sentence.  Can they explain why?  Watch out for the gators!  If drawn, they must give back their cards!

As you know, I love to provide a review worksheet in all my download packs.  It helps with creating follow-up homework or an "exit slip" to assess understanding at the end of a session.

You can access this download here!