School Things Tic-Tac-Toe

This fun School Things Tic-Tac-Toe game gives students the opportunity to practice identifying, saying, and recognising common school vocabulary while playing a familiar game with a friend.
Each square features a school item picture together with its written name, helping students connect the object they see with both the spoken and written word. Repeatedly seeing the written vocabulary provides valuable early literacy practice and helps children become more familiar with letters, word shapes, and print.
The game sheet can be inserted into a transparent sheet protector and played using erasable whiteboard markers. This makes the activity reusable and allows students to play the game again and again. Alternatively, the sheet can be laminated if preferred.
How to Play
Students play in pairs. Players take turns choosing a school item.
Before claiming a square, the student should:

1. Look at the picture.
2. Say the school item.
3. Look at and recognise the written word.
4. Write an X or O in the square.
   The first player to get three in a row—across, down, or diagonally—is the winner!
   Learning Benefits
   School Things Tic-Tac-Toe provides practice in several important areas of early language learning:
   • School vocabulary – Students practice identifying and saying familiar classroom objects.
   • Speaking and pronunciation – Children repeatedly hear and say the target vocabulary.
   • Picture-word recognition – Students connect each object with its written name.
   • Early literacy – Seeing the written words repeatedly helps children become familiar with letters, word shapes, and print.
   • Vocabulary recall – Students practice remembering and producing vocabulary independently.
   • Listening comprehension – Children listen to and respond to vocabulary during gameplay.
   • Turn-taking and social skills – Students practice taking turns, waiting, and playing cooperatively.
   • Fine motor practice – Writing X’s and O’ s provides an opportunity to practice controlled marker movements.
   • Game skills – Children practice following simple rules and recognising three-in-a-row patterns.
   School Things Included
   pencil
   book
   crayon
   ruler
   glue
   eraser
   scissors
   pencil sharpener
   bag
   The combination of real-world objects, pictures, spoken vocabulary, and written words makes this a simple and engaging way for young ESL learners to build classroom vocabulary while also developing early literacy skills.
   Credits & Copyright
   © 2026 Sonyja Murphy. All rights reserved.
   This educational resource was created by Sonyja Murphy.
   Illustrations in this resource were created with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT by OpenAI) and have been edited and arranged as part of this original educational work.