Reading Games for Primary Grades
Learning to read can be difficult for some students, while it comes easily for others. Using reading games in the primary grades can help get students excited about learning, which, in turn, makes learning easier for them. Teachers often use games to get students involved in the learning process and to help them grasp concepts more easily.
Other People Are Reading
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Reading Olympics
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Encouraging children to read books they would not otherwise tackle helps them to expand their horizons and work harder. Set up a reading Olympics to encourage your students to read new books and use their thinking skills. The kids should help you pick the competition categories. Avoid making the contest about how many total books a child can read, which can result in an unfair advantage for better readers. Instead, choose categories in which everyone could compete, such as longest title, most characters, longest sentence and most pictures. Decide on a time frame for the competition. For example, students could enter the books they have read in the last month. Students can enter each book in one or two categories, and it's fine if two students enter the same book. Create medals or other recognition for the winners.
On the Air
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Kids love having attention focused on them. During reading class, tell the class that you will be conducting a mock radio show that day. Use a microphone that really works for the best results. Randomly choose a student to use the microphone to read aloud from the reading text; rest of the class can follow along in their books. Switch readers frequently so everyone gets a chance at the microphone. Keep your choices random so that students cannot guess who will be next.
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Treasure Hunt
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Keeping children active in the classroom while teaching a lesson accomplishes two things. Kids will learn their lesson and burn some energy at the same time. On strips of paper, write down the vocabulary words the class is currently learning, using the words in sentences or phrases. Fold the paper strips and hide them throughout the classroom. Instruct the students to find these pieces of paper, then read what's on them out loud before trying to find another one. This game can be played in teams or as individuals.
Fishing Marathon
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Write words, phrases and sentences on strips of paper and place them into an empty tissue box or other box with an opening in the top. Divide the class into two groups to compete against each other. Students take turns reaching into the box and "fishing" out a strip of paper. Each student must correctly read the strip of paper that he draws from the box. If the student cannot read the strip, it goes back into the box. If he does read the strip, the "fish" is credited to his team's catch. The team with the most "fish" wins.
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References
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