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Games to Teach Reading

There are many games to teach reading and reinforce reading skills in the early elementary years. Games may be purchased, or can be made with your own supplies and reading materials. Here are a number of different ideas of reading games.

Reading Signs

Here is a reading game kids enjoy while traveling in the car. Ask your child to read signs, and you count how many he or she can read in five minutes (or any other length of time.)

At first the child will only be able to read single words. Eventually they will be able to read phrases. As their reading ability progresses, they will start to read the sentences on billboards.

There may be frustration that the vehicle moves too fast for them to read the entire sign. Count how many words in a sign they can read.

This is not a competitive game, but a contest with their former scores. You should do the counting so they can focus on reading.

Early Reading Games for Phonics

We recommend a dual approach of teaching phonics families and common sight words simultaneously. You might be interested in some of the phonics activities and word games to reinforce reading skills. There are suggested games to teach reading words.

There are also lists of suggested sight words and phonic families for kindergarten, and first grade, and second grade.

Words On My Mind

Here is a word building game that reinforces reading, spelling, and phonics. Students roll six dice and have to build as many words as possible before the timer runs out.

This game can be played with a partner, in a group, or alone.

2-5th Grade
$15.99

Erudition

For younger children, this is the best game to teach reading we have found. The set of playing cards contain almost all of the high frequency words, divided by reading level. The colorful game board attracts young readers as they move their marker across the town. Every turn the student has a chance to read a card, and is rewarded with a bonus turn if it is read quickly; building motiviation and postive reinforcement. Read more about this award winning game.

Ages 4 - 7
$24.99

Reading Challenge

Keep a log of the books your child reads over a year (or a summer, or semester, etc.) List how many pages he or she read in each book.

I give my students one point for each page read, if the book is on grade level. If it is easier or harder, I add or deduct accordingly. (This is slightly subjective, but I try to keep it fair.)

You can make a contest between students to see who reads the most. Or you can give a reward for reaching a certain number of pages or points. In our family, 1000 points earns a meal alone at a restaurant with their father. However, there are numerous other incentives that could be offered as well.

Reading Confidence Cards

These cards provide a game like activity as well as the ability to read sentences which repeat high frequency words. They are for beginning readers in Kindergarten or 1st Grade.

Link to the Reading Confidence Cards. Free download available at this site.

More Reading Activities

See our page for more fun reading activities. Do you have ideas for other games to teach reading? Share your suggestions for reading activities that you and your students enjoy.

Return from Games To Teach Reading to the Early Reading Main Page.