by Jimmie
Forget the workbooks today. Play a game for language arts lessons in homeschool! The four games featured here are perfect for school age children and their parents. (See the notes on each game for the recommended ages.)
While you are playing and laughing, the children are learning the structure of words, the meanings of new words, and how to form sentences, all while they are using oral communication skills, creativity, and logic.
These games are a double whammy of fun and learning.
You've been sentenced is scrabble on steroids. You are not making mere words, but using words to create entire sentences!
Ages: 8 and up
Players: 2-4
Language Arts Skills: grammar, sentence structure
The pentagonal cards have five related words along the perimeter. The verb cards have different forms of the same verb (see, saw, seeing, sees, has seen, etc.). The noun card has names all beginning with the same letter.The adjective cards have five more choices. And so on. The object is to create a logical and grammatical sentence with the cards in your hand.
Once the timer shows time is up, everyone must read his or her sentence to the group. The players vote on the sentences. Do they make sense? Are they grammatically correct? The conversations during the attacking and defending of the sentences is where a lot of learning comes into play.
You've Been Sentenced is good for learning how sentences are built and the grammar behind them. But there is so much laughter at the silly sentences that no one realizes that the game is a great language arts lesso in disguise.
Adding more words to your You've Been Sentenced game adds to the fun. There are themed decks such as the ones featured below -- pop culture, science fiction, and word power. Note, although the pictures show multiple decks, each item is a single deck not a set.
 |  |  |
| Pop Culture Deck For You'Ve Been Sent... Only $29.99 | YOU'VE BEEN SENTENCED! ADD-ON DECK - ... Only $7.95 | Word Power Challenge Deck Add-On Deck... |
Quiddler is something like Scrabble but in card format.
Ages: 8 and up
Players: 1-8
Language Arts Skills: word building from blends, prefixes, suffixes, etc.; spelling
The cards have a mix of individual letters and letter combinations. The object of the game is, of course, to create words with the cards, but there are lots of rules that make the game complex. There are points for the greatest number of words per round, the longest word in a round, as well as the points for each word itself.
Blurt is a fast thinking word guessing game.
Ages: 7 and up
Players: 3-12
Language Arts Skills: vocabulary; oral communication
The game featued here includes both regular and junior versions of the questions. The junior questions are for the 7-9 year old crowd. The regular version can be used by ages 10 and up. A family of mixed ages can play together by drawing cards from the appropriate stack. In Blurt! a caller reads the clue from the card. Everyone playing starts blurting out possible answers to the clue. There is only one correct answer, the one on the card.
The game includes challenging rules for more advanced play, so this game can grow along with the family.
Balderdash is a bluffing game. Try to hoodwink your opponents with official sounding definitions and explanations.
Language Arts Skills: vocabulary; writing
Ages: 7 and up
Players: 3-12
A player draws a card which has an unusual phrase, initials, or name on it. Each player then writes a supposed definition for the term on the card, trying to fool the other players into believing his false answer is correct. In this game, you have to write convincingly, using dictionary and encyclopedia styled language soyou can trick your opponents into choosing your answer.
If you teach your children at home, you probably use a lot of pencil lead in...
Using Chalkboard Paint in Your Homeschool RoomApply some chalkboard paint to an area of your homeschool room to create an i...
Unique Uses for an Over the Door Shoe Organizeron 01/27/2012
How to Get Pinned at Pintereston 01/27/2012
Top Five Field Trip Destinations in Memphis, Tennesseeon 01/26/2012
Maya Angelou Poet Studyon 01/22/2012
Comments
I love playing Quiddler and You've Been Sentenced. We'll probably have some fun with them and jigsaw puzzles on Thanksgiving Day after we're finished eating. Last year we added Bananagrams as well.