Parents often ask me where I get my amazing resources and tools. I use a mix of hands-on tools and activities, pencil and paper work, and of course, games! When I’m teaching a new concept, my hands-on tools are a go-to so my students can engage with the new skill in a multi-sensory way. From there, it’s pencil and paper practice to solidify the concept. My students know what comes next: games! Game are a great motivator for many students and they give children the opportunity to practice their new skill, feel successful, and have a great time while doing it. I sometimes create my own game boards and card games, which can be time-consuming. But if I can find a resource that someone else has already created beautifully, I’m definitely not reinventing the wheel.
In a previous post titled, “Building Mental Math Fluency“, I shared some of the hands-on tools and games I use. However there are plenty of simple, printable games and practice sheets you can download that make your job as a parent or teacher much easier. Two of my favorite sites are The Measured Mom and This Reading Mama. Both sites are easy to navigate and feature a wide range of printables for skills from basic mental addition and subtraction to consonant blends. I particularly like The Measured Mom‘s simple bingo and board games for phonemic awareness skills and a variety of phonics skills.
Vowel teams are particularly challenging for young readers to learn and This Reading Mama has got me covered with practice sheets and games. I’m also a huge fan of her “Roll & Cover” games which come ready-to-print on topics from simple addition to place value and beyond!