Make a game board on a 12-inch-square piece of paper consisting of eight concentric squares, each a different color. The center square should measure 5-by-5 inches. Draw two diagonal lines to divide the board into four triangular sections. In each section of the center square, write a diphthong. Photocopy and laminate the game boards so every two students have one board. Read a word from a deck of diphthong word cards you compile. Add several cards, such as “Lose a turn” or “Go back one step.” Students should take turns moving their marker toward the center in the appropriate diphthong “pyramid.” If they answer incorrectly, they move back a step.
Slightly enlarge and photocopy for each student several newspaper articles. Give each student a red pen and tell them to look through the articles for words using diphthongs. They should circle each one they find. When you call “Time,” they should count the total number of diphthong words they found and the number of words for each diphthong. The student who finds the most diphthongs is the winner. Add the classroom totals for each diphthong.
Make 36 diphthong word cards for each group of two students. Instead of making pairs, as you would for a regular game of memory, make each word in a diphthong family unique. Place all the word cards face down in six rows of six cards each. Students will take turns looking for two word cards using the same diphthong. When a student finds a set, he turns the two cards right side up and receives a point.
Compile a list of diphthong words. Put each word on a large card, leaving the spaces for the diphthong letters blank. Divide the class into three teams. The fist player from each team will go up to the blackboard. Pronounce and show the players a diphthong word. They should write the word on the board using the correct diphthong. Award points for correct answers.