Play word games involving fragments of viable words.
Spell words correctly and use a dictionary to verify spellings.

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For the whole group

Whiteboard or anchor chart
Dictionaries
(Optional) Gag prizes or certificates

For each small group

Pen or pencil
Notepaper

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Read through and familiarize yourself with the entire activity.

Gather a few dictionaries and place them around the room.

You may wish to award simple prizes or certificates to the winners of the activity. See the link below.

Free Certificate Templates

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Write the letter “G” on the board or chart. Ask a volunteer to think of a word that begins with G without telling you the word—instead telling the next letter of the word. Write this letter after G.
Ask another volunteer to think of a word that begins with the 2 letters on the board and call out the third letter. Add this letter to form a word fragment of 3 letters.
Continue these steps with new volunteers. Stop either when someone makes a word (and tell them they just lost the game!) or no one can think of a word for the fragment, and challenge the last player to tell the word they had in mind.
Tell students that they have just completed a round of Ghost, a classic word game. The goal of Ghost is to keep adding letters to a word fragment without completing a word of 4 letters or more but always to have a word in mind.
Review the rules of the game. You may wish to display them on the board.
- Games may be played in groups of 2 or more.
- The first player begins the game by saying or writing any letter of the alphabet.
- The next players take turns adding a single letter to the word fragment, and should always have a longer word in mind. A player may be challenged to name a word that begins with the fragment. The player is called out if they fail a challenge, and is called the winner if they pass it.
- If a player completes a word that is 4 letters or longer, they are called out. The other players continue the round. (Note that 2- and 3-letter words are allowed.)
- Use the dictionary to arbitrate spelling. Proper names and words with apostrophes or hyphens are not allowed. Plurals and verb tenses are allowed.
If necessary, invite 2 students to play a sample round with you. Record each letter on the board or chart.
Divide students into groups of 3 or 4 and have them begin playing Ghost. Tell students to keep track of the games they win.
Circulate to assist as needed. You may wish to carry a dictionary with you and use it to settle challenges.
After students have completed several rounds of Ghost, introduce the game of Super Ghost. Explain that this new game is similar to Ghost except for one rule: letters may be added either before or after the word fragment.
To demonstrate the appeal of Super Ghost, write the word fragment TEWA on the board. Ask students if they can think of a word that includes this string of letters. Identify a solution: WHITEWASH.
Have students play either Ghost or Super Ghost, and continue keeping score.
(Optional) At the end of the session, survey students for the high score of the day. Award a prize or certificate to this student. You may also wish to award prizes for categories such as most unusual word, longest word fragment, or best bluff.

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For a shorter activity, prepare several 4- or 5-letter word fragments, much like “UEBE” for “BLUEBERRY.” Invite students to think of words that include the fragments. Useful examples are shown below.
CKSM (BLACKSMITH)LLFR (BULLFROG)REZO (REZONE)NSCIE (CONSCIENTIOUS)YPOT (HYPOTHESIS)AGNA (STAGNANT)ONGDO (WRONGDOING)UITF (FRUITFUL)UITL (FRUITLESS)

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Students go through a variety of activities that help them practice their writing skills in areas such as journalism, storytelling, and more.

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Ghost and Super Ghost

Ghost and Super Ghost

Ghost and Super Ghost

Overview