Computer/board games for Reading and Math

I love the idea of suggesting board games— most families could stand to spend less time in front of the TV or computer screen and more time interacting with each other (mine included!). There are many commercial games that build spelling and vocab… scrabble, boggle, taboo, etc. Problem solving and logical thinking- -Mastermind, Connect 4, Yatzee, chess, checkers.. The advantage is that these are readily available and relatively inexpensive (compared to pricey “learning games”). Perhaps make a list of common board games telling parents what skills they reinforce?

For visual spatial deficits try chinese checkers. I ditto all the one’s Rover suggested. Not that long ago my son did not have the visual spatial skills for chinese checkers but he has developed them.

We play board games almost every night, backgammon, chess, chinese checkers, clue, monopoly, and stratego. My 4 year old is addicted to these games and it seems most nights we don’t really have a choice as he expects to play.

My son learned how to add playing blackjack. He didn’t even know he was learning. He even introduced the game to the kids on the school bus.

http://www.quia.com/web it is oaded with free games in just about every subject that teach speech and language, math and even foreign languages..

The one area that my students are in need of remediation at home is in the ability to reason. This generation of children have spent most of their quality time in front of the TV playing games. They have interacted with an inanimate object and they win. I would like to see families spend time playing cards, or board games which require thinking and deductive reasoning. My own children may struggle with specifics of academics but their reasoning skills are very strong and that’s because they have been “thinking” since they were little. Forget the computer and tell them to sit down at the table together and “play”. This is for all ages not just the young ones.

I have kids who have used the computer games Quest for Glory, Escape from Monkey Island and they have great logic and reasoning skills. We do puzzles, and other board games too but sometimes the computer is a good thing. My son’s increased their vocabulary as they played Kings Quest and figured out solutions while increasing their logic and reasoning skills, playing a computer game.

My kids love Logical Journey of the Zoombinis (also a computer game). We also just got Zoombinis Mountain Rescue - which is a Math and Logic game. These are also good if you need work on visual discrimination skills.

Who makes Escape from Monkey Island? I’ll have to look for that one?

Lucas arts..it has a lot of puns in it and it is very funny…My boys just loved the role playing games and they learned a lot of vocabulary and had to reasong through many things playing the games…

The reason I am looking into the computer game idea is because I have parents who want me to send MORE homework home. HOmework for kids who already struggle with the existing work that is given. I am looking for computer games and board games that allow for that extra practice and boost of those basic skills.
Spelling
Reading Fluency
Reading Comprehension
Sentence Structure
Grammar
Adding
Subtracting
Multiplying
Dividing
Fractions
Decimals
Percents
Money

Yes, It would be nice if the whole family would sit down together and enjoy the time..but that isn’t always reality. I am just attempting to reduce the amount of paper and pencil work at home..and possibly school.

Thanks!

The reason I am looking into the computer game idea is because I have parents who want me to send MORE homework home. HOmework for kids who already struggle with the existing work that is given. I am looking for computer games and board games that allow for that extra practice and boost of those basic skills.
Spelling
Reading Fluency
Reading Comprehension
Sentence Structure
Grammar
Adding
Subtracting
Multiplying
Dividing
Fractions
Decimals
Percents
Money

Yes, It would be nice if the whole family would sit down together and enjoy the time..but that isn’t always reality. I am just attempting to reduce the amount of paper and pencil work at home..and possibly school.

Thanks!

The reason I am looking into the computer game idea is because I have parents who want me to send MORE homework home. HOmework for kids who already struggle with the existing work that is given. I am looking for computer games and board games that allow for that extra practice and boost of those basic skills.
Spelling
Reading Fluency
Reading Comprehension
Sentence Structure
Grammar
Adding
Subtracting
Multiplying
Dividing
Fractions
Decimals
Percents
Money

Yes, It would be nice if the whole family would sit down together and enjoy the time..but that isn’t always reality. I am just attempting to reduce the amount of paper and pencil work at home..and possibly school.

Thanks!

The reason I am looking into the computer game idea is because I have parents who want me to send MORE homework home. HOmework for kids who already struggle with the existing work that is given. I am looking for computer games and board games that allow for that extra practice and boost of those basic skills.
Spelling
Reading Fluency
Reading Comprehension
Sentence Structure
Grammar
Adding
Subtracting
Multiplying
Dividing
Fractions
Decimals
Percents
Money

Yes, It would be nice if the whole family would sit down together and enjoy the time..but that isn’t always reality. I am just attempting to reduce the amount of paper and pencil work at home..and possibly school.

Thanks!

The reason I am looking into the computer game idea is because I have parents who want me to send MORE homework home. HOmework for kids who already struggle with the existing work that is given. I am looking for computer games and board games that allow for that extra practice and boost of those basic skills.
Spelling
Reading Fluency
Reading Comprehension
Sentence Structure
Grammar
Adding
Subtracting
Multiplying
Dividing
Fractions
Decimals
Percents
Money

Yes, It would be nice if the whole family would sit down together and enjoy the time..but that isn’t always reality. I am just attempting to reduce the amount of paper and pencil work at home..and possibly school.

Thanks!

Laura,

You are a great teacher to be concerned with this issue! My son’s OT was the first to encorage board games as a way to address his visual motor deficits. He really avoided these games for a long time because they were so difficult for him. So, just be aware that some kids might really not like the games. After remediation through OT, visual perception exercises and interactive metronome he can play these games for fun.

I often felt like he was the only 8 year old on the planet who hated nintendo. Now he loves it and for his specific issues I think it is great. No violence of course but games that require some level of logic and reasoning accompanied by quick fingers.
I would definitely vote for less homework. Whatever happened to the goal of having happy kids?

Why don’t you just tell them to have their kids read out loud to them for 20 minutes a day? We have “reading” actually assigned at my son’s school, although we do it regardless.

Beth

I wasn’t sure if you read my previous response, so I cut and pasted it below, but in response to telling them just to read to their children: Yes, that IS important. But the whole point of the entire thing, is not to judge the parents or to give them 1 single idea. The point is to give them SEVERAL different options. As a teacher of students with learning disabilities we must attempt to reach them from EVERY angle possible. The other point is repetition…they need repetition of those basic skills…helps to get it to stick into their brains!
This is not the only answer….I just want to have some resources for my parents. Thanks:)

The reason I am looking into the computer game idea is because I have parents who want me to send MORE homework home. HOmework
for kids who already struggle with the existing work that is given. I am looking for computer games and board games that allow for that
extra practice and boost of those basic skills.
Spelling
Reading Fluency
Reading Comprehension
Sentence Structure
Grammar
Adding
Subtracting
Multiplying
Dividing
Fractions
Decimals
Percents
Money

Yes, It would be nice if the whole family would sit down together and enjoy the time..but that isn’t always reality. I am just attempting to
reduce the amount of paper and pencil work at home..and possibly school.

Thanks!