And, you, the, it, of, for, this, have…

This game should be in every Reading Teachers’ classroom. It belongs in every Kindergarten classroom. And, if your child has any interest in learning to read, then grab a copy to keep in your home.
For the past few weeks, we’ve been playing Word Chase. A game for 4 – 7 year-olds, players are given 5 word-cards each. Their goal is to find these words on the board, land on the spaces with their words, claiming all 5 as their own.
The words featured are, in educational terms, known as “site words” or “High Frequency Words”, the 25 words that appear most in English language. These are the words we learn first, some don’t follow the words of phonics and “sounding out,” others do. Regardless, these words are seen often enough that they become memorized words—those you are expected to know by site.
The game is simple; very child friendly. Carson and I have enjoyed games and games of laughter while we race to claim our words. My husband and I are amazed each time we play—through the repetition of reading words, searching for words, finding words, and reading words again, Carson has quickly learned a little over a third of the site words. For a 3-year-old, not too bad.
Created by Beyond Learning, use code 10PERCENT and receive a 10% discount. Beyond Learning donates a percentage of profits to the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition’s Blue Butterfly Campaign, which works to educate the public about preventable childhood illnesses and disabilities caused by exposure to toxins in the environment.