3 Fun Literacy Games That Keep Your Students Reading
Gamify Your Elementary, Middle, or High School Literacy Classroom
How Gameplay Boosts Learning in the Classroom
“Why are we playing a game?” asked no student ever. Games are a great way for educators to add fun to the learning environment. Students of all ages love the competition, excitement, and spontaneity of games in the classroom. But games aren’t just for fun.
Playing a game in the classroom:
- Increases student engagement and motivation
- Incorporates diverse learning styles
- Provides quick formative feedback
- Helps students make multiple connections to the content
- Boosts social-emotional learning skills
Here are three game ideas that can be adapted for any K-12 classroom:
Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are a great entry-level game to include in your classroom because they can be as long — or as short — as you want! In a scavenger hunt, students will annotate a classroom text to identify key elements determined by the teacher. Here are ways to approach scavenger hunts at different grade levels:
Elementary School: Our youngest students are still building their budding vocabularies. To help them bolster this skill, have students go on a “word hunt” in the text. Students can work in teams or independently to
- Find vocabulary words
- Highlight them in the text
- Identify synonyms and antonyms to deepen their understanding
Middle School: Scavenger hunts can be a fun way for middle school students to expand their understanding of literary devices. They can work in teams or independently to
- Find examples of alliteration, simile, metaphor, and more
- Highlight them in the text
- Identify examples of as many unique literary devices as possible in a given timeframe
High School: Even our older students enjoy the competitive edge of a scavenger hunt. Students can work alone or as a team to
- Identify examples of high-level literary devices like theme, motif, and symbolism
- Highlight them in the text
- Identify examples, working to outpace their classmates and finish the hunt before anyone else
Students can complete scavenger hunts using traditional classroom materials like pencils and paper. Or, they can be completed with digital tools. Using Glose’s ability to create digital annotations is a fast, easy way for students to identify any of the scavenger hunt elements listed above.
Station-Based Games
Have a great game idea but it will only take about 5–10 minutes to complete? Station-based games are your answer! Here, students will rotate through a series of stations (3–5 stations is usually the sweet spot) and compete in various mini-games. Station-based games can be a great way to review mini-lesson topics, literary devices, or even build literacy skills. Here are ways to approach station-based games at different grade levels:
Elementary School: Station-based games are a great way to practice literacy skills. Students could complete three games including
- “Sight Words Slap!” cards to practice word recognition
- Word scramble puzzles for decoding practice
- Phoneme dominoes to practice initial sounds
Middle School: Station-based games are an effective way to cover something that has a lot of smaller parts, like poetry. Students could rotate through three games like
High School: Station-based games can be helpful when concluding a unit of study. Students can compete in three stations including
- Vocabulary match game
- Grammar skills-based “This or That?”
- Key concept “Headbands” style game.
Station-based games typically use a variety of materials, making them engaging for students. To keep each station interesting, vary the tools needed. Some stations can require hands-on resources and tools. Other stations can use digital resources. For instance, students can work together to identify vocabulary words on Glose using the integrated dictionary, or highlight figurative language examples during the seek & find.
Escape Rooms
Escape rooms are a high-energy, high-engagement game with many uses. They can introduce a new topic or review information your students have already learned. Escape rooms may incorporate supplies like a lock box and combination lock, but students can complete them virtually or with paper-based resources, too. The supplies aren’t what makes the escape room exciting. It’s the activity itself that is a surefire way to boost student engagement!
You can build excitement by presenting it to your students as a collaborative mission they must complete, whether it’s in pairs or small groups. Here are ways to approach escape room games at different grade levels:
Elementary School: Story Elements Escape Room
- The problem? Your wacky teacher has trapped you in the classroom! You can’t escape until you show mastery of these concepts: characters, setting, problem, events, and solution.
- Students’ mission? Rotate through each station with your partner or group, completing each activity. Record your answers on your answer sheet. When you finish, use the code breaker to find the final clue necessary to break out of the room!
Middle School: Reading Skills Escape Room
- The problem? Your crazy teacher has trapped you in the classroom! You can’t escape until you show mastery of these five reading skills: comprehension, inference, main idea, questioning, and analysis
- Students’ mission? Rotate through each station with your partner or group, completing each activity. Record your answers on your answer sheet. When you finish, use the code breaker to find the final clue necessary to break out of the room!
High School: Introducing a New Novel Escape Room
- The problem? Your insane teacher has trapped you in the classroom! You can’t escape until you show mastery of five objectives for the upcoming unit: an author study, a historical review, art of the era, plot elements review, and a sneak peek of the new novel!
- Students’ mission? Rotate through each station with your partner or group, completing each activity. Record your answers on your answer sheet. When you finish, use the code breaker to find the final clue necessary to break out of the room!
A great way to conclude an escape room is a reflective discussion that ties the end of the activity back to the learning objectives. One easy way to engage in that discussion is by posting the question to your Glose classroom and allowing all students to respond. Not only does it wrap up the activity, but it also allows students to continue building connections with each other.
How to Set Expectations for Classroom Games So You Don’t Go Crazy
In order for games to be meaningful, they have to align with learning objectives. When creating your classroom game plan, use backwards design. This will ensure that mastery of the learning goals is the mission of the game. What is it that you want your students to understand when they finish? Begin there, and the rest will fall into place.
Also, start small and keep it student-centered. No one should be working harder during the game than the contestants! If it’s your first time incorporating games in the classroom, don’t create an elaborate, complicated escape room with no margin for error. Instead, start with something that can be amended as you go, like a scavenger hunt. Giving yourself the ability to make small tweaks and changes without completely upending the game will make it less stressful.
Finally, setting behavioral expectations will also ensure that you don’t go crazy on game day. Students should know ahead of time that you expect them to show good sportsmanship, teamwork, and critical thinking skills during the game. If students understand the expectations, they are more likely to channel their energy and excitement into productivity and learning.
It’s Time to Get Your Game Face On!
Remember, games are fun — and they shouldn’t be time fillers. They have value at all stages of the learning process.
- Games used to introduce new topics and literature can increase excitement about the upcoming unit.
- Games used to reinforce literacy skills add a layer of competitive fun to their practice.
- Games used to review a unit are an engaging way to get students prepared for upcoming assessments.
Literacy games will help you increase engagement and motivation in the classroom. They will help students build positive connections to the content and their classmates. Everyone will enjoy the added excitement and fun. Get started with these gaming ideas today!
