You need enough computers with Internet connectivity to allow all students the opportunity to play the games you use in your lesson plans. You may want to make use of programs such as SMART Notebook Express. SMARTBoards, interactive whiteboards, allow students and teachers to interact in a variety of ways while using online materials, including writing on the SMARTboard while playing an online game.
Scheduling time for each student to have adequate time to play the game is a strong factor in the decision to implement the use of online games in your lesson plans. You will need to interact with students and monitor the computers to ensure that each student understands how to play the game, that they are actually engaged in the game you want them to play, that the game is set at a rate that is paced to their learning ability, and that the computer is working correctly. You may need to set the game up for each new student as advertising has a tendency to appear as though it is the wanted game when one student finishes the game and another is about to begin.
Online games that help first-graders gain writing skills are plentiful, many at no cost. Some are played at speeds that can be adjusted to fit the learner. Phonics games allow the students to hear the sound of each letter, syllable or word spoken by someone other than their teacher or classmate. Some rhyming games also have this capability. These games provide variety and entertainment, allowing students to check their current skills and learn new skills independent of classmates or need for feedback from their teacher.
Neither computers nor the Internet are completely reliable, which requires the teacher to have a back-up of activities that can be substituted for time regularly scheduled for Internet games. A class of first-grade students usually has individuals who learn quickly, master their lessons the first time around, and are impatient to move to the next level. But others will need help and time to acquire basic skills. A particular Internet game may not be suitable for all children in the class, which requires the teacher to plan carefully around each student's learning level and schedule games accordingly.
Test Internet games by playing them yourself before incorporating them into your lesson plans. Some look as if they would be easy to play and a good teaching tool but are likely to confuse the students and cause frustration.