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!

Auditory discrimination - short vowel sounds a,e

It's been a while since I've managed to do a post; after the mid-year holidays I broke my laptop and I'm still in 'recovery mode', but I've managed to get an old laptop working and to recover most of my files, so I'm posting a new game to print.

This term, I'm working with Prep (1st year) and Grade 1 students, many of whom are still unsure of common 'short vowel' sounds. The short 'a' and 'e' are very easily confused, so I've made this game to help children distinguish between these sounds.

 a or e game

The game can be printed on light card and laminated before use; you will also need a die and tokens/'movers'. It will be available for free download for at least 2 weeks (for private/educational use).

Children need to learn to separate words into their component parts so that they can learn to decode unfamiliar words.

One of the first and easiest ways to 'break up' words is to look at compound words.

Here is a couple of picture sheets I made for my students some years ago. I have laminated them, and I re-use them each year to help my beginner readers.

   

         Compound Words_1                                                          Compound Words_2

You are welcome to download these sheets to print for your personal/educational use.

"Taking Words Apart" - Compound Words

Children need to learn to separate words into their component parts so that they can learn to decode unfamiliar words.

One of the first and easiest ways to 'break up' words is to look at compound words.

Here is a couple of picture sheets I made for my students some years ago. I have laminated them, and I re-use them each year to help my beginner readers.

   

         Compound Words_1                                                          Compound Words_2

You are welcome to download these sheets to print for your personal/educational use.

Printable board game for /all/ word family

I'm trying to get some of my students to recognise 'little words' or letter patterns inside words.... so I've been using this game I made several few years ago. I let the students borrow it to play at home, so they get extra practice (I also send home a little zip-lock bag with a die and 'wishing stones' for movers).

The game is quite simple to play- just make sure the players can follow the sequence of numbers from the bottom. My students enjoy this game, especially if they land on a bug!

Up the Wall game board 

Up the Wall Instructions

You can download this game for free until the end of this month. Print in colour on white or light-coloured card (or cover paper), and print the Instructions on the back before laminating. You will also need a die/dice and tokens or 'movers'.

Reading Game to Make

Busy times at work... today I had a mixed class of Grade 4 & 6 students (their Grade 3 and 5 classmates were sitting tests).
Some of the Grade 4's finished their work early so I quickly adapted and printed off a Reading Game board I made a while ago. The task I gave the students was to think of words either suitable for Grade 1's or words they themselves need to work on, then fill in the game board and decorate it.

A couple made some very good games that I can use with my Grade 1's (colour photocopied onto light card and laminated). The others can play their games with friends or family.

The game board will be available for free download until the end of May (click on the picture below) ... but children also love to design their own game boards!

The game is very simple - if a player lands on a word and can read the word correctly, they move on an extra space. If you want to make it more complex, you can make a rule that anyone who rolls a 6 has an extra turn, any player who rolls a 3 misses a turn (or 2=go back 2, 1= go on one), etc.

New printable board game for Sight Words

Term 2 began here last week, and I have been working with my Reading Intervention children on the "Bridges" reading program.

At the end of each session, I play a quick game with the child, highlighting a teaching point. Often I want to practise some Sight Words, so I have been going through my collection of games to find simple ones that won't take too long to play.

I thought I'd make a new one with cat pictures, as most children like cats.... so here it is.

Cat on the Mat - printable board game

You can download the game for the rest of April. Print it on light card and laminate for best results.

You can make or use word cards, or if you are playing the game with the child, you can just write a list of words and point to the word you want the child to read - I do this if I'm short of time as each child will be working on different words, and they can vary from session to session.

You will also need tokens or 'movers' and a die (dice).