Your child will practice reading common words by tossing crumpled paper into a trash can.
Learning Area(s): Reading and Writing
MATERIALS
- small empty trash can
- one or two sheets of 8 ½” X 11” paper
- scissors
- markers or crayons
LET'S PLAY
Before you play, find or create a small trash can and place it in an open area. Select four to eight different words from the word lists in Tips. Cut a sheet of paper into four pieces. If you are using eight words, cut the second piece of paper into four pieces. Write each word on a different piece of paper and crumple it lightly. Scatter the crumpled words on the floor about five feet from the trash can.
Explain to your child that they will go to a piece of crumpled paper, uncrumple it, and read the word. If they read the word correctly, they crumple the paper and try to throw it into the trash can from the spot they found it. If the paper goes into the can, they get to go to another piece of paper and repeat the steps. If they miss, they go to the spot where the paper landed and repeat the steps: uncrumple it, look at and read the word, crumple the paper, and try to throw it into the can again. Repeat until the paper goes into the can. If they miss after three tries, allow your child to make a slam dunk to put the paper into the can.
If your child says the wrong word or cannot read the word, tell them the word and have them read the word as they look at it. Next, they crumple it, drop it back to the floor, and go to a different word. Come back to the missed word later.
Keep playing until your child successfully throws all of the crumpled words into the bin. You can repeat this game with new sets of word cards or keep using any words your child may have missed on the first try.
TIPS
- Instead of a small trash can, you can use a medium-sized box.
- Variation: You can play at a table or countertop using smaller pieces of paper and a bowl.
- To find appropriate words for your child, look at a research-based list:
- Dolch word lists (organized by grade level)
- Fry word lists (organized in groups of 100 based on how often we use them)
- AERO Reading Curriculum high-frequency word cards
- Different schools use different word lists. Your child’s teacher may have a list of words to practice at home.
- If this game is too easy for your child, try adding some words from a word list above your child’s grade level or in a higher group.
- If the game is too hard for your child, try using some words from the grade level below and help your child read any words they don’t know.
- As a way for your child to practice reading and writing the words before the game, you can write the words on a piece of scratch paper. Read one word from the scratch paper and ask your child to read it. Invite your child to copy the word on a piece of the paper you prepared for the game and read it once more. Then let them crumple it lightly like a piece of trash and set it aside. Repeat this routine for each word. Last, let your child scatter the crumpled papers on the floor a few feet from the trash can to begin the game.
- You can time your child to see how long it takes to get all the crumpled words into the can. They can play again and try to beat their time.