Tag Archives: Games

BINGO! A New Twist for a Classic Classroom Game

Posted on August 11, 2010 by ecossick| 1 Comment

Want to know a simple twist for Bingo that can be used to reinforce phonological awareness? I call it Rhyming Bingo.

How the Game Works:

  1. In Rhyming Bingo, students are given prepared 4×4 square Bingo cards that contain pictures such as a cat, a bone, and a sock. These pictures can be found in clip art from the Internet or on word processing software (or hand-drawn if you’re crafty!).
  2. Then, the teacher calls out cards that contain rhyming words that would match with the students’ boards such as “bat,” “phone,” and “rock.”
  3. The students then put down a Bingo chip (which can be found at supply stores such as The School Box) on the corresponding rhyming word. For example, the teacher might say, “sail.” Then, the student would respond by putting a Bingo chip on the picture of “mail.”
  4. The students would continue to play until someone covers their entire board. There is so much critical thinking involved in this game, and students LOVE it!

Make it More Challenging:

You can vary this activity for advanced students by choosing words that are difficult or uncommon. You can also add the spelling of the words on the Bingo cards to help students.

Make it More Creative:

  1. Students can draw their own pictures on their Bingo cards according to a preset word list created by the teacher. By doing this, the teacher already knows that he/she has call out cards that will rhyme with the students’ drawings, and he/she knows what the students have drawn on their cards.
  2. Students can draw their own pictures on their Bingo cards based on their own rhyming words. For example, the teacher would give the students a list of words that she will use as call out cards. Then the students would think of words that rhyme with the call out words and draw their pictures based on their new words. This gives the students responsibility and challenges them to think more.

By bringing these ideas into your classroom, the students feel more accomplished, and there will be more variety in the classroom. This game can work in whole class settings and with small groups. It is a great way to mix fun with phonics!

Rachel Stepp is a graduate student at the University of Georgia, currently working on a Masters in Early Childhood Education.

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Posted in Academic Success, Games, Phonics

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Our Fave Mommy-and-Me Beach Reads!

Posted on May 14, 2010 by ecossick| Comments Off

by Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed.

There you sit, sand between your toes, enjoying the sun, the surf…and the fact that you can finally crack a book! To help you achieve beach Zen this summer, here are our favorite lit. picks—as well as award-winning books and activities to keep your kids engaged (and learning!) long enough for you to get past the first chapter.

Mommy Lit.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

The basic plot seems trite: Girl steals best friend’s fiancé. But, with Giffin’s witty narration and relatable characters, you’ll actually root for the cheaters!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Told through letters written by a cluster of characters in 1946, this enchanting novel shares the story of Guernsey Island’s Nazi occupation.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

The latest from Kinsella (Confessions of a Shopaholic), this is the tale of Lara, a girl who is visited by a fun-loving ghost from the 1920s. Kinsella-style hilarity ensues.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

An uplifting and compassionate tale about a Mississippi town in 1962, whose racial tensions are blown wide open when Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan publishes the stories of the town’s mistreated black maids. Soon to be a major motion picture from DreamWorks.

Kiddie Lit. (and Activities)

Summer Express, $14.99*
Give children a head start in school! Each workbook includes 100 ready-to-go, fun-filled math and literacy activity pages.

Hot Dots Flash Cards, $9.99*
These electronic, self-checking cards are great for reviewing math facts. And they’re (gasp!) lots of fun, too.

Carole Marsh Mysteries, $7.99*
Each adventure mystery in this series is set in a historical place, making history and geography really cool for kids.

Science Kits, $9.99*
These award-winning kits bring science to life with exciting, educational projects that have amazing results!

*Featured products are available at The School Box.

This article appeared in the spring issue of Little Black Dress/Little Red Wagon Magazine, page 26. Click here to see the original article, along with a printable coupon for 20% off one regular-priced item! (Coupon good through July 1, 2010).

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Posted in Games, Parenting, Reading, Science, Summer Learning, comprehension

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Start the New Year with a Bang! Games and Activities to Inspire and Excite

Posted on January 10, 2010 by ecossick| Comments Off

Write a little comment on this post, and you could win one of several $20 School Box gift cards this month!

By Sandra Jacoby

The presents have been opened, fireworks have welcomed the new year and kids have gotten used to being home for two weeks! Now it is time for back-to-school, the winter version. How do we, as teachers, get our students back into the swing of class? Instead of jumping head-first into the pool of knowledge (that is more than likely frozen over), you have to break the ice. Hold off on the piles of homework and start slow. Find something that will get their gears going without the stress.

Primary/Elementary Levels:

Games and hands-on activities are a great way to review the previous semester and ignite students’ excitement to be back in class. A scavenger hunt on the playground or in the classroom, for example, is sure to grab their attention! Students can find five rocks (to work on counting) or things that starts with a certain letter or sound (such as /b/). A scavenger hunt can be adjusted to any subject and any grade…and it doesn’t take a lot of preparation.

Junior High/High School:

Stretch students’ brains and get them talking with optical illusions. Just search “optical illusions” on Google Images, and you’ll find plenty. Students can write about what they see and discuss their different perspectives.

Students, Come on Down!

Another option to get children of any age tuned in to the new semester is to take previous tests and quizzes and use them as questions in a game show. You can break students into groups to play (students are generally more motivated when they’re working with their peers), and you might choose to award the winners with five extra credit points on the next test or a dismissal from a homework assignment.

Starting the new semester with a game or activity will inspire your students to even greater heights during the second-half of the year!

Sandra Jacoby graduated from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in December, 2008, with a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies. She currently teaches pre-kindergarten in Fredericksburg, Texas.

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Posted in Classroom Community, Cooperative Learning, Games, Writing

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Teachable Moments…in the Tub!

Posted on January 1, 2010 by ecossick| 4 Comments

Comment on this post and be entered to win one of several $20 School Box gift cards this month!

Wanna know a great place to teach your young child? In the bathtub! Talk about a captive audience…it’s perfect!

Recently, my toddler and I have embarked on a series of color lessons via the tub. We started with foam letters and numbers in a variety of colors, and now we’ve graduated to food color. A drop or two of liquid food color turns the water all sorts of fun colors. It’s amazing how much more fun bath time is with green water!

Another favorite  bath time color activity is painting. We start by putting a dollop of hypoallergenic, fragrance-free shaving cream in four cups. Then, my son and I talk about the colors we could make by adding a drop or two of food color to each cup. We often start with the primary colors: add a drop to the shaving cream and use a large paint brush to mix it up. Then, we’ll mix a drop of blue and yellow to make green, or blue and red to make purple. The large paint brush is the perfect instrument for adorning the tub’s walls with our shaving cream “paint.” And then, when my son rivals a California Raisin, we pour water on the walls and our paint magically disappears. Easy clean up!

What are your tricks for finding teachable moments during the day? Comment below and you could win one of several $20 School Box gift cards this month!

submitted by Elizabeth Cossick, M.Ed.

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Posted in Motivation, Parenting, Writing

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Avoid Summer Brain Drain!

Posted on June 4, 2009 by ecossick| Comments Off

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Keep Skills Sharp All Summer…While Still Having Fun.

Afternoons at the pool, bike rides to the creek, fireflies in glass jars. Summer, by rights, should be fun. On the other hand, however, research links a lack of summer academics to a loss of around 30 percent (or 3 months’ worth) of the previous year’s learning. Ouch.

So what’s a parent to do? Here are some suggestions for keeping skills sharp and kids happy:

1. Keep it real. Provide real-world activities to introduce and reinforce skills. “Balance paper-and-pencil practice with real-world experiences,” advises Christine Persson, former Cobb County teacher and co-owner of The School Box, along with husband Dave. “Cook together and talk about fractions. Count money and talk about decimals. Then, follow up with a practice workbook.”
Practice pages designed for summertime: Summer Bridge Activities, $13.95. Daily reading, writing, math and language arts activities hone skills all summer. Ages pre-k to eighth grade.

2. Engage the whole family. Get the whole family involved in playing a critical-thinking game. Everyone loves a game, and getting mom, dad and big brother on board sends the message that learning is important, even during the summer.
These games are tried-and-true crowd pleasers: Bananagrams, $14.99. This addictive, award-winning word game develops spelling and vocabulary skills. Ages 7 and up.BG01
Roll n’ Multiply, $24.99. This best-selling game challenges multiplication novices and experts alike. Ages 7 and up.
Double Shutter, $19.99. This fast-paced game of tactical choices and math skills is a family—and teacher—favorite. Ages 6 and up.

3. Read! Reading for pleasure is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to keep skills sharp. Explore the local library (for free!), or give your child a $10 bill and let them loose in a bookstore. While you may want to steer them toward age-appropriate materials, be sure to let them ultimately select their own summer reading material. They’ll take more ownership over reading if they are given a choice.
If you need a recommendation to get you going, check out: Carole Marsh Mysteries, $5.95 each. These popular, educational mysteries incorporate history, geography and suspenseful cliff hangers! Ages 7 and up.


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Posted in Academic Success, Games, Math, Multiplication, Parenting, Reading, Summer Learning

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Educational Games: We’re Not Just “Passing Go,” Anymore.

Posted on April 27, 2009 by mcornelia| Comments Off

Gone are the days when Monopoly, Go Fish and Candy Land exhausted the list of engaging children’s games. Today, educational games abound, and it’s a good thing they do!

Educational games– especially those specifically targeted at a certain skill– can greatly boost a child’s understanding of academic topics, promote critical thinking, and foster problem-solving skills. From learning science concepts and mastering multiplication to gleaning tidbits about cultures and historical events, children pick up a treasure trove of information from games…all while having a blast.

But with so many games available today (particularly through the Internet), it’s important that parents and teachers understand their role in learning. Here are some tips to keep in mind about educational games:

Important buying considerations for parents and teachers:

  • Does the game fit YOUR child? To help you decide, most games list an age/grade level on the package. That’s the first clue, but you also need to consider your child’s maturity and mental capacity. Ask yourself: Does this game provide enough challenges without being too frustrating?

Tips for toddlers from 0 to 12 months:

  • While children this age are too young for traditional “games,” there are plenty of educational toys that engage the minds of wee ones. Opt for toys that play music, make a noise in response to an action, and introduce letters, shapes, numbers and colors. Toys with mirrors, where babies can “play” with their reflections are developmentally ideal, as well. The more interactive, the better!

Guidelines for children from 1 to 3 years:

  • This is a good time to introduce colors, numbers and letters. Look for educational games and toys that play the alphabet or chime letters, numbers and colors in response to hitting a key or pushing a button. Buy crayons, and reinforce your child’s new skills by writing and drawing together, while you point out the different colors. Practicing letters and numbers in the bathtub with special tub crayons can be a lot of fun, too!  Simple games like Memory can be great fun beginning around age 3, as well.

Tips for children from 3 to 5 years (preschool and kindergarten students):

  • At this age, appropriate electronic games and educational video games can be appropriate, if used with parental supervision. Websites that offer free interactive games and activities can also be enriching. At this age, however, it is crucial for parents and teachers to directly supervise all Internet activities.

Children from 6 to 12 years (grade school students):

For children at this age, reading, writing and math skills are paramount. Buying complex games–such as spelling and quizzing games targeted at these skills– can encourage your child to master these disciplines.

Make it fun!

Finally, make sure the game is enjoyable for your children! If they don’t enjoy playing it, it isn’t going to be an effective learning tool. Involve them in selecting games and play them together at first to familiarize them with the features and goals. Let them know that learning can– and should– be fun!

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