Friday, August 5, 2016

Reading Resources

I've been working on sorting all the reading resources I've made over the last 14 years, so that I can finally add some organised, useful content to the Reading Should Be Fun website.

It's such a huge job that I've been putting it off, but I will be retiring from my Reading Intervention teaching job in a couple of months and I've been asked to leave a list of resources and ideas behind, so it's spurred me on to dig out all the games and resources hiding in my computer and hard drives.

It hasn't helped that I broke my laptop and had to resurrect an old one, then I had to get all the files copied from my broken laptop (luckily the lovely computer technician at work helped, as it wasn't an easy process!). So I've spent many days exploring folders within folders within folders, re-naming and organising hundreds of files.

It's a long process, but at least it's started, and I've found some scans of games that I made years ago (hand-drawn game boards, copied onto coloured card with stickers added). These were the first Reading Games I made, before I developed my computer skills. The games were so popular with my students that I kept making more and more.... and the original games are still being used enthusiastically by my current students.

Here's one that I made to help students who are beginning to learn letter sounds:


Alphabet Game
Instructions

This game is available for free download (for non-commercial use). You can print it in colour onto light card (open the JPG image above, right click and Save As... to your computer, then print as a full-page picture). Print the Instructions on the back and laminate before using. You'll also need little 'movers' (e.g. counters) and a die/dice.


NOTE- My students have a plastic folder or 'envelop' (A4 size) to take home books, worksheets and games. I add small zip-lock bag with a die and 4 or 5 tokens (coloured glass 'wishing stones' sold in bags for putting in vases, but buttons/counters/small shells or even little coloured cardboard squares would do). I also write out sight words cards and send those home when relevant.

The children love to choose and swap games as well as books, and it really encourages them to practise their reading work at home without even realising they're working!