25 Ideas for Starters and

Plenaries
Starters and Plenaries
How they work
Some ideas work best as starters, others only as plenaries. The best are ones that can
be used as both and review the learning at the end.
Ideas

1. Word Game – tutor vs student

You say a subject related word, then get the student to say a word that begins with the
last letter of the previous word. Keep going until you have a winner. Give this game a
theme to relate to the subject matter.

2. Pictionary
Works particularly well for topics that are hard to liven up.

3. Everything
Give student a large sheet of paper and get them to write down everything they
remember from the previous session(s). As a plenary you can then get student to use a
different colour to add any new learning or areas that have been further developed that
day.

4. Sequence statements.
Get students to cut up statements and put them into the correct order.

5. What’s the Question?

Give the student some answers and get them to discuss with you what the question
could be. Remember it may not be the question you had in mind but may still be valid
and lead to discussion.

6. Who am I?
This classic Post-it note game is perfect for an ice breaker, especially as you are
playing too.

7. Visual Clues
Set up a slideshow with various images and have the student guess the answer. Works
well as a visual way into a session which may be quite a lot of writing and content.

8. Crack the code.

Give students a code, a=b, b=c and ask them to crack the code to work out the
objective of the session and any key words that are relevant.

9. Nine Box Squares

Write nine key words, used the previous lesson, in boxes on paper or a mini
whiteboard. Challenge student to make a sentence of at least three words, or a short
paragraph using them all.
 10. Top Tips
Write 3/5 top tips for…

11. Quick fire

Quick fire verbal quiz with a top score to beat in a set time limit (possibly their top score
from a previous session).

12. Question time

Ask student a series of questions. They must answer without saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Don’t
be afraid to switch roles and put yourself in the position of answering.

13. Progress checklist

Give the student a checklist of elements they will be learning in the lesson. They grade
themselves red, amber or green at the start – and again at the end to review learning.

14. Be the marker

Using photocopies of other student responses to exam questions. Do you agree? Why
didn’t they get the mark(s)? A lot of these responses are available on exam board
websites with the syllabus/especially within the examiner’s reports from each year.

15. Anagrams
Give your student scrambled up subject specific vocabulary to unscramble. Feeling
brave? Get them to scramble up key vocabulary for you to unscramble too.

16. Agree/Disagree
Use red/green cards or piece of paper with yes/no on the front and back. Give students
statements to agree or disagree with e.g. linked to topic, about the teaching/learning,
about their confidence with areas of the topic.

17. Write a dictionary

Ask student to create their own ‘dictionary’ of key words and ask them to complete
definitions of words learned from the previous lesson. This could be added to over a
series of sessions.

18. Forbidden
Student to describe a word/key idea from the lesson with/without using given words.
(Tutor could write words/ideas in advance or student writes their own).

19. Mnemonics
Student to devise their own mnemonics to the meaning of key words (For example:
Rhythm Has Your Two Hips Moving) linked to objective.

20. Power of Three

Student to write down 3 things they want to learn about a particular topic/ 3 things they
remember from last session/ 3 pieces of vocabulary they want to include in their writing
etc.

21. Cloze activity

Sentences with missing words and a selection of given words to fit in (or no words to
raise the level of challenge).
 22. Improve
Give the solution to a problem or answer to a question, which your student needs to
improve.

23. Learning Tree

Give student a print out of this tree. Ask them to circle the figure that represents them
at the end of the lesson and explain their reasoning. You can also ask them to circle
where they want to be and help to set targets to get there.

24. Progress line

Student to mark where they are on the line at the start of the lesson, and again at the
end...

25. Diamond 9
Put a set of ideas into order with the most important at the top. This is in the shape of a
diamond and … has 9 elements to it! Templates are easily available on line.
See diagram: