Games for Reading

Games to help with reading:

I spy

Everyone, starting with the youngest, has to give an animal OR boys name/food/footballer where the name starts with a, b, c etc. Sometimes start later in the alphabet.

Each player has to give a word which starts with the last sound of the word before:  table -> leaf.  When this proves too easy, each word should start with the last letter of the previous word:  table -> egg

How many words can you think of in one minute that start with: s, t, m etc

Describe yourself –or someone else – with positive adjectives that start with the same letter as your name:  I am beautiful, brilliant, bashful, brainy Bethany.  [negative words are NOT allowed]

Pairs – letters or simple words are written on two cards [the same size as playing cards] and all turned upside down on the carpet. Take it in turns to turn up two cards you hope are matching, and if you can say the letter or word correctly, you keep the pair.

Label common objects around the room on card and stick the words on with blutack. Then take them off and see if the child can put them back in the right places.

Mazes and WordSearches in puzzle books

See how many smaller words can be made out of the letters of e.g. your name, your favourite football team etc.

Make up simple rhymes and allow the child to guess what word is needed:

O No, I’m going to be late

And still there’s some dinner on my ……..

I’ld better set off straight away

Or she’ll make me stop in and miss my……

If I run very fast and don’t trip up

Oh No, now I’ve broken my ……….

Etc                       or

As I was skipping down the lane

I met my friend, her name was………..

Her shorts were red and her shirt was white

Her nose was bleeding – she’d been in a ……..

Think of different meanings of words which sound the same: whole and hole, bow and bow, which and witch, hare and hair, nose and knows etc

I went to the moon and I took….. Each player gives the list of previous articles and then adds his own. It would be helpful to do this in alphabetical order: I went to the moon and I took an alligator, a branch, a cuckoo clock, a domino etc