When thinking of structured literacy, games might not be the first thing that come to mind. However, literacy games can be powerful tools for building knowledge and developing skills in language, reading, social interaction, and executive function. They also foster confidence, perseverance, and the ability to take risks.

Structured literacy involves the explicit, systematic, and sequential teaching of literacy skills—from the smallest units to whole texts—with cumulative practice and review of information. This approach benefits all students and is essential for those with reading disabilities (Spear-Swerling, 2018).

How do games fit into a structured literacy program?

Skill reinforcement

The National Reading Panel Report (2000) recommends repetition, multiple exposures to concepts, and engaging activities to build literacy skills, all of which can be supported with thoughtfully incorporated literacy games. When students are interested and engaged, they are more likely to learn, remember, and transfer skills and content. Furthermore, the repetition that games afford supports retention of new words, skills, and content. For instance, games like PIG (see below) that feature phonological and word patterns facilitate word reading automaticity. Interactive SmartBoard games, board games, and both teacher-created and commercial games can be incorporated into structured literacy programs through partner activities, small group practice, and whole-class lessons to review and practice essential skills.

Executive function and social skills

Games foster executive skill development, including working memory, self-regulation, and cognitive flexibility (Meltzer, 2010). They provide opportunities for collaboration and strategic thought while helping students practice pragmatic language and turn taking. Board games, in particular, build communication skills and teamwork while promoting risk-taking and resilience (Barton et al., 2018; Rogerson et al., 2018).

Easily customized

Teacher-created games can be easily tailored to specific skills in a structured literacy program. BINGO boards and Memory cards are simple to create and  can reinforce a wide range of skills, such as spelling patterns, syllable division patterns, word reading, morphology, and vocabulary.

So, let’s play more games! Try the game of PIG to reinforce phonological patterns taught in class. Within a structured literacy program, this can be played in small groups with teacher monitoring to ensure accurate word reading until sufficient word reading and collaborative skills have been established. Structures must be in place so errors are not left uncorrected.

PIG

Materials: Cards with selected words, pigs, and stop signs.

Directions

1. Create cards with phonetic patterns that have been taught in class.
2. Add cards with pigs and stop signs. 
3. Shuffle the pack and place face down in a large pile.
4. With each turn, students pick 1, 2, or 3 cards to flip over and read (students choose the number of cards, which involves strategy).
5. When a card is read correctly, the student keeps the card. If it is not, the teacher scaffolds for self-correction, and the card goes back into the pile.
6. If students draw a stop sign, they miss their next turn. 
7. If students draw a PIG, they need to put all of their cards back in the pile.

References

Barton, E., Pokorski, E., Sweeney-Walczak, E., Velez, M.S., Gossett, S., Qui, J., Flaherty, C., & Domingo, M.
     (2018). An empirical examination of effective practices for teaching board game play to young children,
     Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 20(3), 138-148, doi: 10.1177/1098300717753833

Meltzer, L. (2010) Promoting executive function in the classroom, The Guilford Press.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, DHHS. (2000). Report of the National
     Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read: Reports of the Subgroups (00-4754). Washington, DC: U.S.
     Government Printing Office, doi: 10.1598/RRQ.36.3.5

Rogerson, M., Gibbs, M. & Smith, W. (2018) Cooperating to compete: The mutuality of cooperation and
     competition in boardgame play. CHI, ACM. Paper presented at CHI Conference, Montreal, CA., doi:
     10.1145/3173574.3173767

Spear-Swerling, L. (2018) Structured literacy and typical literacy practices: Understanding differences to
     create instructional opportunities, Teaching Exceptional Children, 20(10), p. 1-11, doi:
     10.1177/0040059917750160.