The Games

Every Reading Stage has 4 different styles of card games.
This ensures variety and gives your child a choice of game.
Each game takes only a few minutes to play.
The games are alphabetically graded in order of difficulty at each stage.

Have a look at how one of our games works by using the simulators: just click on the links!

How can card games enable reading?

Enjoyment and fun at each Reading Stage.
Playing the four different styles of card games at each of the reading stages that have been designed by Joanna Jeffery, Cert Ed, Dip (dys), AMBDA, MA. means that the whole experience of learning to read is a pleasure and not a chore.
Mastering specific reading patterns that lead to reading.
There are 15 Reading Stages identified by Joanna as being vital in the reading process. They are progressive and phonically structured. Box 1 contains the first 5 stages. Each stage is reinforced by playing the 4 different styles of card games.

An overview

All the card games take a very short amount of time to play and so concentration is maintained
There is a competitive spirit adding a bit of fun but, with some of the games requiring luck, the games are not taken seriously but reading is achieved
Match it, Take it and Use it can be played with more than two players
There are no pictures on the cards to affect peoples reading skills
The games are ageless, to the extent that teenagers are more than happy to play the card games
Because there are 4 styles of card games at each stage reinforcement of each reading stage is inevitable
The card games can be played over and over again

The psychology behind each of the 4 card games which ensures the fun and success that is so vital in the process of learning to read.

Guess it

The master card ensures that the 'reader' can always see the words This helps mastery since they read the words over and over without realising.
When a word is not guessed and put to the bottom of the pack the 'reader' learns to read that word in their head since they need to remember it for later.
The 'helper' can choose to read difficult words so that the 'reader' can then read them later!
It is the quickest of all the games to play.
The 'helper' always goes last so the 'reader' will always win the last cards. This boosts their confidence!
Guess it can be used for single consonants and isolated vowel sounds before whole word reading.

Match it

Match it can be played with 2 or more players.
There is skill in deciding which card to play
The players are unaware how much reading they are achieving as they are so intent on playing the game.
The delight in getting a 'TRUGS' card to change the colour and confuse the opposition brings in the laughter and takes away reading stress.

Take it

Take it enables over learning, by re-reading the whole set each time cards are 'taken'.
The 'reader' will also learn to listen to the 'helper' when they read a complicated word.
There is a hysterical atmosphere since there is no skill in the game and the cards are constantly being 'taken'!
A player soon learns to listen to other players reading words, since they know they may well have to read the same words if they ‘take’ them later, thus maintaining interest.

Use it

Use It begins to develop their skills in sentence construction.
The 'helper' can encourage good use of language and award a bonus point at their discretion
the 'reader' can be helped with sentence construction i.e. only use ‘and’ once, and suggesting using linking words like 'because' etc.
it gives the 'reader' an opportunity to demonstrate their sentence construction skills without the constraints of having to write.