6/1/2020
4 Family Game Night Ideas to Boost Literacy
Due to the stay-at-home orders brought on by COVID-19, families have been spending more time together. And while good old-fashioned quality time is by no means a bad thing, assisting your children with remote learning tasks for school can quickly get stressful and overwhelming.
If you're looking for ways to lighten the load and amp up the fun, why not go “old-school” and host a family game night? From brushing off a classic board game to organizing an animated debate, here are our top four ideas for family game nights to boost literacy and make learning enjoyable. So, grab the snack of your choice, and let's get started. Game on!
Family Game Night (foundational and intermediate readers)
Did you know that some familiar board games are also super literacy skill boosters? Step 1: Select a game from the list below based on your child's reading level. Step 2: Get the rest of the family involved!
Note: Competition can be stressful for some kids, especially those working on language skills. Try playing in teams to make the game more fun for everyone.
Foundational Readers:
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Scrabble Junior
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Hedbanz
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Buzzword
Intermediate Readers:
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Scattergories
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Scrabble
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Apples To Apples Junior
Poetry Tournament (all readers)
Tournament brackets aren't just for basketball playoffs! Add a literary twist by finding eight poems, each by a different poet, and placing them in a bracket as you would with team names. Then pair up the poems, have friends or families vote for their favorites, and continue the tournament until a champion emerges.
Debate Night (adolescent readers)
Believe it or not, arguing with your teen can be fun! To set up a family debate night, form two teams and choose a topic: Does the Loch Ness Monster exist? Should zoos be banned? Is technology making people smarter? Keep in mind that the best debate topics require some research.
To minimize friction and maximize fun, we recommend establishing a few ground rules:
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Prepare to make a point: Participants should gather facts and information to support their opinions.
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Set a timer: Each team will have the same amount of time to make their case. No interrupting allowed!
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Agree to disagree: Maybe one team will convince the other… and maybe not. If both sides learn something new and have fun, everyone wins.
Talk Show Time (intermediate and adolescent readers)
Looking for an out-of-the-box way to spotlight all the reading that's been happening at home? It's talk show time! Appoint your preteen or teen as the host and have them interview each family member about the last book they read. The host may use the following discussion prompts or come up with their own:
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Describe your favorite character. Would you want to be friends with them? What advice might you give them?
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What is the book's message or theme? How does that relate to your life?
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Did any part of the book surprise you? Did you learn anything new?
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What would you like to tell or ask the author?
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Would you recommend this book? Why or why not?
We hope we’ve set you off on the right foot for a successful and educational family game night!
Teachers, as always, feel free to share these suggestions with your students and families.
Families, if your student uses Lexia® Core5® Reading or Lexia® PowerUp Literacy® at home, check out our family resource page or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.