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Why You Should Invest in Learning Games
I really love board games and card games!
Some of my favorite memories are of late-night progressive rummy games with my husband and his family. Now we’re making new memories playing learning games with our children!
I like to use learning games in my homeschool and with my students. If you’re not sure it’s worth investing in a game library for your home, I’m here to say it absolutely is.
I’ve been building our game library for a while now, but you don’t have to buy new every time. Whenever I go to a thrift store or by a yard sale I want to look for games! We also have an ongoing Amazon game list that we share with families during the holidays.
Games are great for building all kinds of skill and you can find a game for almost any subject area. I love them and I hope you do too!
Just because your children are playing a game, doesn’t mean they aren’t learning! Children learn through play!
When you step back and really look at what they are doing while playing the game, you’ll see all kinds of learning moments. Children have to read the directions to get started, they may have to read the cards or game board, they will need to practice letter and number recognition and so much more.
When children are playing a game they are building social-emotional skills, math skills, and literacy skills, sometimes all while playing just one game. The best part is that students are learning without it feeling like a task or a chore. It’s so fun and a great family activity that it takes away any pressure to perform academically.
Are you wondering what games to play? Well, here are the learning games I’m loving right now for building literacy skills and beyond!
Quiddler
This is a fun card game where children try to make words using the cards in their hands. It’s a great opportunity to work on spelling, dictionary skills and vocabulary.
Boogle
This game is a great opportunity for children to build letter recognition skills and work on their spelling.
Zingo
Students work on concentration, letter and word recognition, and quick thinking skills.
Pop for Sight Words
This is a simple sight words game! Each sight word is written on a small popcorn shape and students reach in and grab their word. If they get a POP they have to put all their words back in.
Slapzi
Slapzi requires players to stay focused on the images in their hands and also the clue being read. They have to use flexible thinking, working memory, and cognitive reasoning. They can also build vocabulary and work on their decoding skills while reading the clues.
These games require letter recognition, reading, creative thinking, spelling, and build children’s automaticity skills. I love games that have just enough reading to challenge developing readers.
When we started playing Slapzi this summer my son was very hesitant to use his new reading skills for the game. However, the game is so fun that he’s motivated to read so he can play it more! Games can and do motivate reluctant readers!
I recently launched Done For You Reading and Writing lessons for Home. There are learning games you can print and download and use TODAY! You can get it HERE at a special discount!
I have created simple and easy to use learning games to support literacy skills. You’ll find games for building fluency, sight words, letter recognition, and more!
Build a word is my take on boggle! It’s my favorite. I play it with my students all the time. I like creating my own boards because I can control the letters on the board. I make sure to include enough vowels and consonants for students to feel successful!
I hope you will start playing games at home with your kiddos! They are easy to incorporate into your week. You can have a family game night or rotate through games each day based on what your children need to focus on.