Games to promote Literacy

National Literacy and Numeracy Week is an important event in the school calendar.

Boardgames Australia encourages students, teachers, parents, librarians and game buffs to celebrate with a game – or, better yet, several games!

Great games for beginning readers

M is for Mouse

Literacy focus: Starting sounds

You’ll love it because: M is for Mouse is not just one game but a collection of three, suitable for different levels of primary school. In each game, players aim to be the first to recognise a combination (on separate cards) of a picture and its initial letter. The simplest variant does not require speed, but more difficult games reward the fastest player to identify a match.

Great games for ages 8 and up

Apples to Apples Kids

Literacy focus: Understanding words (cards have synonyms printed on them); comparisons.

You’ll love it because: A hilarious game where players aim to play ‘noun’ cards (my grandad, smelly socks, snowmen, peanuts, fish fingers) that best match an adjective (beautiful, smelly, disgusting, lively, orange). Apples to Apples is great with large groups and there are plenty of cards so there’s always variety.

Boggle

Literacy focus: Word recognition, spelling

You’ll love it because: First published in 1973, this timed word game has remained popular for over 30 years. Players have 3 minutes to find as many connected words as possible from the face up letters resting in a 16 cube grid.

Scattergories

Literacy focus: Vocabulary building, initial letters.

You’ll love it because: It’s a fantastic, funny game for any size group. Choose a category sheet or make up your own categories, pick a letter, and off you go! Think of a word in each category that starts with the chosen letter – and hope you’re the only one who thought of it, or you’ll score nothing for it. Explanations and justifications are always hysterical.

Great games for older children and families

Scrabble

Literacy focus: Spelling, building vocabulary

You’ll love it because: It is a classic! Form letters in a cross-word style grid on the board. There is tactical play in trying to obtain the valuable multiplier squares as well as sheer vocabulary power in making long high-scoring words. A game that has withstood the test of time and brought joy to millions.

My Word!

Literacy focus: Word recognition, spelling

You’ll love it because: In this fast-paced game, players compete to be the first to recognise a word as cards with ‘word parts’ (1 or 2 letters) are dealt onto the table. It’s quick, it’s simple, and we’re told it works really well in a classroom.

Apples to Apples

Literacy focus: Vocabulary building (understanding words)

You’ll love it because: A hilarious game where players aim to play ‘noun’ cards (Marilyn Monroe, travel, the great American novel, calculus, snowmen) that best match an adjective (exotic, dull, amazing, rancid, green). Apples to Apples is great with large groups and there are plenty of cards so there’s always variety.

The Dictionary Game / Balderdash

Literacy focus: Building vocabulary, using a dictionary

You’ll love it because: This is a game of wit, knowledge and bluff. One player chooses an obscure word from the dictionary or from a card in the commercial game. Everyone writes a definition for the word, including the chooser who writes the correct definition. The answers are mixed up and then read out. Players vote for what they think the correct definition is. You can score points for picking the correct definition or for fooling others into picking your false definition! Add more fun by also voting for the funniest answer!