5/31/2020

4 Family Game Night Ideas to Boost Literacy

With the summer months upon us, family time is a focus for many but getting everyone onboard for group fun can be a challenge.

If you're looking for ways to amp it up a bit, 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 that teachers can share with their students and families to help keep their skills sharp. Grab the snack of your choice, and let's get started. Game on!

Family Game Night (foundational and intermediate readers)

Did you know 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 children, especially those working on language skills. Try playing in teams to make the game more fun for everyone.

Foundational Readers

• Scrabble Junior
• Hedbanz
• Buzzword

Intermediate Readers

• Scattergories
• Scrabble
• 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 the best debate topics require some research.

To minimize friction and maximize fun, we recommend establishing a few ground rules:

• Prepare to make a point: Participants should gather facts and information to support their opinions.
• Set a timer: Each team will have the same amount of time to make their case. No interrupting allowed!
• 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 your child’s reading skills? 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 these discussion prompts or come up with their own:

• Describe your favorite character. Would you want to be friends with them? What advice might you give them?
• What is the book's message or theme? How does that relate to your life?
• Did any part of the book surprise you? Did you learn anything new?
• What would you like to tell or ask the author?
• 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!

We’ll continue to provide simple, at-home activity ideas to promote literacy this summer. By exploring these diverse methods, you can discover what works best for your family, making reading a fun and integral part of your children's daily lives. Together, let’s foster a love for reading that will last a lifetime.