Introduction:
To improve your child’s reading skills, your child must develop the necessary foundation to decode and spell words accurately. Having a strong foundation and the right habits will allow equipping your child to be able to read multisyllabic words with ease. This happens by teaching phonics in an explicit and systematic way, as well as making sure a child has a firm understanding of the sound(s)/letter(s) relationship. After explicit instruction, students need to have multiple times to practice the concept this is where learning games can become useful.
Why Reinforcing Reading Skills with the Phonics Memory Game is Crucial for Boosting Learning
The Importance of Explicit and Systematic Instruction for Boosting Reading Skills
Please don’t ignore the importance of explicitly and systematically teaching your child the skills needed to read. In addition, remember we should try to avoid teaching things in isolation. We want our kids to have things to map their learning to, which allows them to understand the concept more clearly. You can read more here about how to help improve your child’s reading skills. I have learned so much from Marnie over at Reading Simplified about best practices in reading. As a result, I have students who start making great gains within just a few lessons.
Balancing Learning Games and Real-Life Reading: The Best Approach for Lasting Skill Development
I really like the speech-to-print approach and not having to wait until the targeted concept is mastered before moving on to a new sound and its different spelling. However, I do find many of my kids need to have the targeted skill practiced in a controlled way a few times or sometimes many times before completely mastering it.
This is why I am creating worksheets to supplement my lessons. This way if I notice between sessions a child is constantly forgetting something I can give them some practice work to do in between so they can have the targeted support. This allows them to continue to be pushed while working through the lessons, in addition to being able to zone in on the sub-skills so they can be mastered.
When I want my children to practice reading skills beyond our regular lessons, I often integrate games into our learning time. If a child has mastered a particular skill, I let them play the game independently or with a buddy. On the other hand, if a child is struggling, I participate in the activities with them or assign them a buddy who has already mastered the skill. I want to do these activities with my child because I want to make sure they are given the proper feedback and error correction.
In doing so, I make sure to teach the concept of being a helper and not merely giving away the answers. This fosters a sense of responsibility and patience while nurturing their ability to provide helpful feedback—a skill that can ultimately cultivate great leaders and people skills.
Building Focus and Confidence: Overcoming Challenges in Reading through Play
Integrating Memory Games: Unlocking Effective Ways to Reinforce Reading Skills
A simple way we can get more practice in is by playing simple reading games and then adding other elements to turn it into a meaningful learning assignment/practice.
One game I love using to review phonics concepts is memory. To make it more effective, I’ve created memory games that focus on a specific sound and its various spellings. If you’d like to get a free long “o” memory game, click here. Sometimes, I have my learners play the game in a traditional manner, just like the old-school memory game with those cute little square cards. However, I also enjoy finding multiple ways to utilize resources, aiming for the best value for my time and efforts. I want to integrate additional skills beyond basic word recognition.
“5 Ways to Use the Memory Game”:
1. Word Write:
Extend the memory game by having your child write each word using the say-as-you-write method. This just means as they write the word they are saying the sounds as they are writing the letters that represent that sound within the word. If you are like what the heck do you mean? Comment and I will do a video on this.
2. Write Sentences:
Choose a number of cards corresponding to the number of sentences you want your learners to write. You can even focus on a specific spelling, tailoring the activity to each child’s needs. Have them write sentences for each word.
3. Read Sentences:
Select a few picture cards and write a sentence for each one. You can type them out, providing a space for the student to match the sentence with the corresponding picture, or cut them into strips. Then, have your child read the sentences and select the correct picture.
4. Sort by Sound Spelling:
Sorting and classifying are crucial skills to develop. This skill allows them to notice differences and similarities. Have your child read each word and determine which targeted sound spelling it represents. You can also extend this activity by having them sort the same words by different sounds.
5. Mark the Spellings:
Have them select a card and then read the word. After reading the word have him tell you how many sounds are in the word. Then have the child mark each sound in the word. 1 sound, one letter spelling gets a dot. 1 sound with more than one letter spelling gets a line. Also, Remember one sound can have up to a 4 letter spelling!
Conclusion:
In Summary, incorporating memory games into your reading practice can be an effective way to reinforce skills beyond regular lessons. Remember, quality over quantity is key. It’s better to focus on one task and excel at it than to rush through several activities. Building a solid foundation and cultivating good habits takes time. Nurture their growth with consistent and deliberate practice, and you’ll soon see fruitful results.
Don’t forget to download your free long “o” memory card game, and let me know which extension activity you plan to use.