Reading Games for Emerging Readers

Games that feel fun and take the pressure off needing to practice!

• Secret Message Game/ Scavenger Hunt

  Cut some blank slips of paper, get a pencil and tell your child you want to show her/him a game. Tell her/him you’re going to write a secret message just for her/him. Write it on a slip of paper, give it to your child, and ask her/him to read it silently.

Then ask your child to find the object with that name and place the label on it.

Start with easy words like box, cup, mug and doll before moving on to more challenging household objects like plant, drum and window.

• Commands

  • This is basically like charades. It’s a fun game because it combines reading with movement. This can be played with you and your child, two children taking turns, or simply your child by himself/herself.

  • Write different action words on small pieces of paper or card stock. Make sure to start with phonetic actions like run, sit, hop, hug, jog, sob, jump, skip, stand, stomp and clap. Ask your child to choose a paper and perform the action while you guess what it is. Take turns!

  • As he/she masters the phonetic words, you can add more complicated words or even phrases like ‘get a glass’ or ‘dance a jig.’ Your child can also think of actions and add his/her own command cards to the box.

• Color labels

  • Apart from ‘red,’ most color names are not phonetic and can be tricky for children to learn, so playing a game is a great way for them to practice.

  • For this game, cut little slips of paper and write a color on each—use black ink for each label, as color coding them would make this too easy. Begin with just three labels and start with the easiest colors to sound-out—red, black and a third, perhaps your child’s favorite color.

  • Practice sounding out each color name with your child. When your child is familiar with the three labels, fold the labels in half and put them in a little basket or box. Ask your child to choose a label and find something in the room of that color. For example, if she/he chooses a label that reads ‘red,’ she/he places it on something red. When your child is proficient with those colors, it’s time to add another

• Bingo

  • Bingo is one of the easiest board games for children to learn, so why not use it to practice reading?  You could make your own board.  Say the word for your child to find, hold up a picture, or hold up the word for different variations.

Simple reading Cards

On index cards, write a stack (20) of 3 letter words for your child to read to you.
Mix up and read again!

When ready, introduce 4 letter words.

When ready, introduce words that begin with “ch” or “sh” in a stack.