Getting to grips with reading, writing and comprehension is vital for any child. Thankfully there are a number of literacy learning resources available for children to take advantage of. Whether they’ve already started school or they’re yet to have their first day, it’s always worth doing whatever you can to encourage literacy skills. To help you do just that, here’s a list of five literacy resources for children that incorporate fun into learning.
Comprehension level board games
Suitable for children aged 7-9, this entry into comprehension level is comprised of six different board games. For those looking for a game that covers a broad range of comprehension skills, this could well be for you. Topics included in the set are cause and effect as well as context. The board games also encourage learning about fact or opinion, sentencing, vocabulary and main idea. Every game has its own set of explicit instructions as well as comprehension strategies. What’s particularly advantageous about the board games is that they provide additional activities which have been specifically designed to support a greater level of understanding.
The well-designed set, which is both aesthetically pleasing and fun to play is a great solution if you’re looking to develop many aspects of English simultaneously. It’s also highly adaptable, meaning it can be designed to fit around individual children’s needs.
Alphabet Pebbles word-building set
This pack of fifty Alphabet Pebbles are great if you’re looking to adopt a more hands-on approach. Children love to explore and the pebbles help to encourage that instinct. By tapping into that instinct, the Alphabet Pebbles encourage understanding of letters and words from an early age. These are one of many great literacy resources for children aged three and above, the pebbles are crafted from a strong and durable mix of stone and resin, meaning they can be used pretty much anywhere, be it in the lounge or a sand pit in the garden. With every pebble engraved with a letter, you may be surprised at just how much they do to encourage your child to start investigating and sorting through the pebbles. Simple, cost effective and fun, the Alphabet Pebbles word-building set is great for promoting your child’s curious nature.
Sentence Scramblers
Forming basic sentences is a cornerstone of literacy but it can be a little dull for children at times. Sentence Scramblers change all of that, however, by allowing children to scramble together different sentence starters as well as parts of speech and punctuation to promote creative sentences. The game is easy to understand and instantly accessible for children aged 5-7 thanks to its colour-coded word tiles. The idea of the game is to give the structuring of sentences a visual appeal and therefore make them easier to understand which puts this as one of the best literacy resources for this age group. So if you’re looking for a game that will not only encourage writing fluency and social skills but also promotes a more adventurous vocabulary, then Sentence Scramblers could be the answer.
Rhyming Pups
Winner of the Practical Preschool Award, Rhyming Pups is a fun and effective game for children aged 3-5. When literacy resources are this cute you know the kids will be happy playing (and learning) with them. Helping children to develop their fine motor skills in a unique and fun way, the game also promotes early word-building skills. Every pup in the pack is brightly coloured and comes marked with either a beginning letter or a two-letter word ending. Children then can mix and match the pups in order to create more than 55 different rhyming words.
Pass the Word game
For children aged 5-9, Pass the Word is a game that makes spelling fun. Players have to race against the timer in order to complete as many words as possible. When the timer runs out, however, the letters are passed on to the next player. The game features plenty of words ranging from 3 to 6 letters long. It can be used either as a simple spelling game or, if you have younger players, it can be used as a phonics activity. Aside from the educational benefit of the game, it’s also great for promoting observational and social skills. Orchard Toys have lots of fantastic literacy resources to explore so make sure you look at their full range.
