What Are the Different Types of Literacy Games?

Providing literacy games is a terrific, interactive way to help improve spelling, language, grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and overall literacy. By making the ability to learn new things fun and interesting, students are more likely to be engaged and to continue trying to improve. There is a variety of resources available from online games and activities to flash cards and everything in between. Literacy games can be used in the classroom, the home, or any other setting, and are not necessarily just for children. These games can be used to help anyone improve literacy, and by making it fun, they encourage participation.

Literacy games are generally designed with a particular focus in mind. One game may begin with the basics, and involve studying the alphabet. It may then move on to help people learn to alphabetize words properly. Another may help struggling readers recognize and memorize sight words. Literacy games can also aid students in recognizing word families or in reading comprehension. Spelling is an important part of literacy programs, and there are several games and activities designed to help improve spelling.

Choosing literacy games that focus on improving one skill at a time can be beneficial. As each skill improves, you can move on to a more challenging game or another skill. Fast-paced competitive games in a group setting will work for some students, while others may be better aided by slower games or those with more of a personal focus. You can try a number of different literacy games for different people.

In some classrooms, literacy games involving flash cards are used frequently. Some teachers even have students make their own cards, or other game items, for further engagement. Word scrambles are another fun idea. Word find puzzles, those designed to have readers pick out full words from amongst many other letters, are also good tools. Having students come up with their own game ideas adds to the fun and creativity.

You can create your own literacy games using few, if any, tools as well. Simply choose a word and say it aloud or write it down. Then have each person say a related word on his or her turn. You can also state a word to begin a sentence and have each person follow with a word until a complete sentence is made. You can use pencil and paper or a chalkboard to keep track of words and sentences or just play casually without writing them down.