Playing Scrabble in English Lessons – The Game

Start the game

Fix the Scrabble® grid on the board with the help of the magnets.

Find a suitable initial and fix its letters (tiles) on the board. It should be a long word providing the students with plenty of opportunities to form new words. (I always use the word NEWSPAPER.)

Each group draws 10 tiles from their pool (e.g. cloth bag). The students are only allowed to see their own group's tiles and the ones on the board. The watch each other so that nobody cheats. After each turn they replenish their supply.

Explain the rules of the game with examples:

  • Names, abbreviations or inflected verbforms are not allowed.
  • Only one word can be formed in a turn. If the students form one word horizontally so that another word is created at the same time both scores are added.
  • Words are scored by adding up the point values of their letters, multiplied by any of the coloured squares that may be covered.
  • The words must form a real crossword puzzle. If the students form two or mor interlocking words at the same time, the scores of these words are added. Have a look at the following photos: The group forms the word TEA. The next group forms the word RAT. The scores of the words RAT and AN are added.
  • The students are allowed to forfeit their turn and exchange all tiles for those in the pool.

The word must form a real crossword puzzle. If the students form interlocking words, the scores of these words are added. Have a look at the following photos:
One group forms the word TEA. The next group forms the word RAT. The scores of the words RAT and AN are added.

After all groups have drawn their tiles the first group begins to fix their word on the board. Each group has a time limit of two minutes. It starts when the previous group has fixed their word. Here you can see the game in progress.

End of the game

Stop the game after some turns. The group which has scrored most points is the winner. Motivate the students by documenting the scores on the board in the course of the game. You can easily turn the game into a competition with a list of the highscores. Then you should play the same number of turns.

Preparing Scrabble®

Used with the permission of Mattel.