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Reading PK-3

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Reading PK-3 > Strategies > Games

Games

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Overview

Games help students visualize how to connect one fact to another. By engaging student Attention, games motivate students to develop meaningful connections with content and can lead to positive memories of learning.

Use It in the Classroom

  • Interactive games, like match-game puzzles, allow learners to practice and assess their Vocabulary knowledge by matching words with their respective definitions. These fun games promote a positive emotional connection with learning and improve memory consolidation.

    • Design It into Your Product

    Videos are chosen as examples of strategies in action. These choices are not endorsements of the products or evidence of use of research to develop the feature.

    Learn how this word puzzle game incorporates spelling, phonemic awareness, and Vocabulary in a challenging but interactive way. Color-coding the consonants and vowels reinforces Alphabet Knowledge and letter recognition, and providing increasingly complex words supports deeper Vocabulary building.

  • Designing games for learners to practice their Decoding, Vocabulary, and Sight Recognition skills encourages students' Attention on practicing and improving. Through playful games, learners reinforce skills and concepts to promote further memory consolidation.
    • View References

    Resources

    Below are additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
    Examples

    Crossword Puzzles

    Crossword puzzles applying vocabulary from Read Naturally stories

    Examples

    ELA Games

    Free online games to practice letters, sounds, spelling, and Vocabulary

    Examples

    Why Use Games?

    Five benefits to incorporating games in the classroom

    Research

    Digital Games & Learning

    Subtopic that includes research on educational games in the classroom on Digital Promise's Research Map

    Research

    Student Motivation

    Topic that includes research on the factors that motivate students to learn and reach their goals on Digital Promise's Research Map

    Factors Supported by this Strategy

    Language and Literacy
    Alphabet Knowledge
    Decoding
    Morphological Awareness
    Phonological Awareness
    Sight Recognition
    Vocabulary
    Cognition
    Attention
    Inhibition
    Long-term Memory
    Short-term Memory
    Speed of Processing
    Working Memory
    Social and Emotional Learning
    Student Background
    Adverse Experiences
    Home Literacy Environment
    Physical Fitness
    Safety
    Sleep
    Socioeconomic Status

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    Graphic Organizer

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    Pictures & Visuals

    Visuals help students recognize relationships within words and sentences to develop reading skills.

    Videos

    Providing visuals to introduce, support, or review instruction activates more cognitive processes to support learning.

    Videos: SEL Topics

    Videos developed with discussion guides can teach students about SEL skills.

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