How to Play Hangman to help teach reading and spelling

Hangman is a fun game that you can use to sneak learning into playtime with your kids. Because hangman has simple rules and only requires paper and a pencil, you can play hangman on the run, such as in the car or waiting in line at the bank. This article will get you started playing hangman as a learning tool!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paper
• <br>Pen or pencil
• <br>Dictionary (optional)
• <br>Spelling words (optional)

How to Play Hangman to Help Teach Reading and Spelling

1. Consider your child's spelling/reading level. Gather some ideas about words your child spells well, and words he stumbles over. Does your child have a weekly spelling list or vocabulary worksheet from school? Did he bring a textbook home with new history words?

2. Consider your child's interests. Besides words used at school, think about terms used in her hobbies. Possible ideas might include soccer, outer space, sharks, dinosaurs, and animals. Be creative!

3. Consider silliness. Make every third or fifth word silly to keep your child interested. Depending on the age group, mild bathroom humor can be helpful.

Ready to Play!

4. Think of a word. Write down a horizontal line for each letter, and draw the scaffold.

5. Have your child guess a letter. If the letter he guesses is in the word, write the letter down on the corresponding line. If the letter is not in the word, draw a body part on the hangman.

6. Continue until the word is guessed or the hangman is complete! The object of the game is to guess the word, but have some fun with the hangman. Draw silly body parts or clothes on him sometimes, especially if the word is difficult. You don't want to put too much emphasis on winning or losing.

Tips & Warnings

• Add more challenge to the game by playing "Wheel of Fortune" style: have your child "buy a vowel" by drawing a body part on the hangman if she picks a,e,i, o or u.
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• <br>Take turns. Kids love to fool adults!