The Learning process has never been more entertaining and enjoyable, all thanks to the most well-designed educational games available online. A well designed educational game can encourage children to explore, take risks without fear of mistakes and even spark an interest in learning things they may have previously had doubts with. But that’s just scratching the surface. When paired with phonics these educational games become an unbeatable tools to aid in your child’s reading journey.
The Benefits of Interactive Phonics Games Teaches the foundation of reading
To become a proficient reader, one must be able to understand how letters and their corresponding sounds work together to form the words we see in written text. Without this foundation, reading can prove to be difficult. The great news is that there are fun phonics games to help enhance this ability. These games aim to teach one how to identify letter sounds, how the sounds can be blended into words, and eventually, how to become a proficient reader.
Encouraging Learning
Incorporating colorful visual aids and props is almost indispensable when you want your students to learn letters and their corresponding sounds effectively. The reason is that these vibrant and eye-catching elements make the learning process more enjoyable & increase student engagement compared to the traditional plain letters on white paper approach. Interactive online games are able to replicate this visually stimulating approach even further by incorporating various colorful graphics and animations, sounds, and reward tools, therefore creating an immersive learning experience for children. Through this, children are able to remember information better, stay concentrated, and motivated to learn more new concepts.
Incorporating colorful visual aids and props is almost indispensable when you want your students to learn letters and their corresponding sounds effectively. The reason is that these vibrant and eye-catching elements make the learning process more enjoyable & increase student engagement compared to the traditional plain letters on white paper approach. Interactive online games are able to replicate this visually stimulating approach even further by incorporating various colorful graphics and animations, sounds, and reward tools, therefore creating an immersive learning experience for children. Through this, children are able to remember information better, stay concentrated, and motivated to learn more new concepts.
Ensures cognitive development
Interactive phonics games involve many cognitive skills. Skills such as reading, memory, focus, and critical thinking are all involved when a child plays phonic games. These games act as mental gymnastics that stimulate a child’s intellectual growth. When children take part in phonics learning and practice activities, they give their full attention to letters and their corresponding sounds to grasp new vocabulary and phrases. This improves their phonics abilities as well as their concentration abilities.
Types of Interactive Phonics Games
Synthetic phonics: In Synthetic phonics, children learn to recognize and associate letters or corresponding sounds. Later they learn how to blend these sounds together to form complete words.
Analytic phonics: As the name implies, analytic phonics involves children focusing on studying the relationship between letters and sounds in words that they have already learned. They do not isolate individual sounds but rather analyze how they work together in words. A good example is when the child notices that the letter combination “ea” often makes the long “e” sound.
Analogy-based phonics: In this method, children use their knowledge of word families to identify unfamiliar words that have similar parts. For example, if a child knows the word “cat,” they can use that to help them recognize the word “hat.”
Phonics through spelling: This approach involves breaking words down into their individual phonemes and then using that knowledge to spell new words. A good example of this is when a child learns that the letter combination “sh” makes the sound heard in words like “ship” and “wish,”
Designing Effective Interactive Phonics Games
Address the Needs of Diverse Learners
When creating phonics games, for students it’s essential to ensure they (the games) are inclusive for all learners. Simple adjustments like adjusting fonts or incorporating flashcards can make a significant difference. For students with conditions like Autism or ADHD, using vibrant colors, perhaps a mixture of rainbow hues can be incredibly helpful. Similarly dyslexic learners may benefit from increased legibility of text as well as yellow background. These adjustments can go a long way in ensuring diversity.
Speaking out loud
Speaking out loud to your child and encouraging them to join in can really help improve their understanding of sounds in words. You can also make it more fun by adding music and rhymes that focus on sounds, which can boost your child’s reading skills.
Flexible Instructions
Every child has their differences. That’s why it’s important for parents to be flexible when teaching phonics through games. One teaching style may not meet the learning needs of each child. When teaching kids at home, adjust your methods to get the results.
Test recognition skills
To test recognition skills, ask participants to say the second and third sounds of a word. This simple activity requires minimal setup and helps improve phonics and decoding skills, enhancing pronunciation abilities.
Incorporating Technology into Phonics Games
Children can participate in learning activities centred around phonics, vocabulary and comprehension using apps and ebooks. These digital tools feature animations, sound effects and interactive components that can be tailored to suit each child’s learning speed offering personalised and enjoyable reading adventures.
Define your objective
Start by setting your objectives. Define what you intend to accomplish or what results you’d like to obtain. It can be as simple as keeping the child motivated to learn new words, helping the child relate sounds to letters, or even simplifying learning processes by presenting complex words in a simpler way.
Consider age
Choose technology that matches your students’ age and skill level. The tech should effectively cater to your child’s learning styles.
Introduce
Assist your learner in mastering the functionality of the tool you are teaching. This will guarantee a seamless integration of technology into the child’s learning environment.
Strategies for Engaging Learners in Interactive Phonics Games
- To Engage Learners in Interactive Phonics games, try to find letters in the house. Discuss with them the sounds that these letters represent while reading words from sources. This practice will not just enhance your reading skills.
- Nourish your learner’s passion for literature by providing them with an ample display of magazines and related materials to reference from
- Foster your child’s passion for reading by sharing read-aloud moments. Encourage them to pick out books that captivate their interest. During your shared reading sessions involve them in conversations, about the words, letters and sounds they come across.
Phonics education plays a role in developing your child’s reading skills. While it follows a structured and step-by-step approach, it can also be made enjoyable and interesting through interactive phonic games. Working together with your child’s teachers can greatly enhance their reading progress.
References:
Hayes, G., Hirano, S., Marcu, G., Monibi, M., Nguyen, D., & Yeganyan, M. (2010). Interactive visual support for children with autism. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 14, 663-680. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00779-010-0294-8.