Reading Games

We use Happy Phonics.  It’s a reading program based on games.  Reading Eggs is a great online game (but it’s a bit pricey).  Starfall and more.Starfall are both great (online, Starfall is free, you pay a smallish fee for more.Starfall).  Ooka Island – my boys liked it then they didn’t then they did.  Again, pricey online game.  

My sons have all loved the See If You Can Win All The Cards From Mom game.  I start with a stack of cards (whatever number I think they can get through without tiring) and tell them I’m sure there is no way they can read all these cards.  Then I show them the first card and let them read it (I do offer subtle help if needed).  When they read the card I groan and cry and make a big deal about the fact that I just lost the card to their great reading abilities.  We go through the stack this way, me totally hamming it up and them laughing their heads off.  I make a big deal at the end of measuring the stacks to see who won – them, with their big stack and me, with nothing.  Depending on the day and attitude they can earn one prize for each word they read – a peanut, an M&M, a mini chocolate chip, etc.  But mostly it’s just the satisfaction of beating me and watching my ‘show’.  I do pick cards I’m sure they can read, even if it’s slowly.  I want it to be a confidence builder for them (and practice without them thinking it’s practice!).

Heather

caycecronk – it really depends on his attitude, but almost never more than 20 minutes.  My 3 older boys loved reading and would ‘play games’ with me for quite a while.  My youngest, who is 6, tends to have a worse attitude – in general, not just reading!  Some days he’s happy and cheerful for 20 minutes, other days I’m lucky if I get 5 good minutes.  I try to end the lesson on a postive note with him having success.  So if 5 minutes into it I see it’s not going to work, we’ll read a word or two that I know he can read, be all “great job, you’re learning so many words” and we’re done.  Other days we hit that mark much later.  Some days his surly moods can be changed with the offer of a treat or some quiet minutes of back rubbing/cuddling or reading a favorite book together or a few minutes of outside time or switching to another activity then coming back to the reading.  Some days I just end it on a positive note and let him play an online reading game.  On Thursday one of the older boys asked if they could play a reading game (from Happy Phonics) with youngest and they spent 20 minutes playing together!  New idea for me…..olders working with youngers, and the youngest was SO happy to play with his older brother.

This last boy has totally thrown me for a loop.  He’s so different than his older brothers and teaching him to read has been very humbling.  I THOUGHT I knew what I was doing, having taught 3 already, but this last one sure doesn’t want to follow my plan so we’re figuring it out all over again!