First Grade Reading Games
Games can be used to help first-graders review and practice reading skills. They encourage cooperation, rule following and taking turns among students while providing a high-interest way for early readers to strengthen their skills. Use these games to practice phonics skills and fluency with your first-graders.
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Phonics Games
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Memory and matching games are effective ways to help students review phonics skills. You can make cards that match rhyming words, high-frequency words, or lowercase and uppercase letters. For higher level matching games, match singular and plural forms of words, or match words to make compound words (for example, pop and corn to make popcorn).
You can also make phonics games using a blank game board path. For a syllable game, provide students with a blank path, pennies or other small item to serve as game pieces, and index cards with words written on one side and the number of syllables written on the other. On his turn, one student draws a card, reads the word and counts the syllables. After checking the back to see if he is correct, he can move his game piece the number of syllables in the word. If he is wrong, he doesn't move and the next student takes a turn. You can also use blank game boards to make your own games for vowels sounds, spelling patterns and consonant blends.
Fluency Games
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In first grade, students work on fluency through letter recognition, letter and sound correspondence, high-frequency words, and reading passages fluently and accurately.
Using an alphabet arc to play letter-matching games will help students learn to recognize letters with speed and accuracy. An alphabet arc is a large piece of paper with the letters printed on it in the shape of a rainbow. You can also make an arc that has only the letters a, m, n and z so that students can practice putting letters into the correct space. Children can practice matching letter tiles or magnetic letters to the letters on the chart and timing each other. They also can take turns completeing the arc and checking each other's work.
I See, You Point is a game to practice high-frequency words. To play, spread 12 cards with words written on them faceup on a table, and give one student a list with the words written on it. That student calls out a word to the other student, who has to find the word card as quickly as possible, point to it and read it. After all the words have been read and found, the students switch roles and play again.
These games will engage your students and help them become stronger readers.
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