Has it ever happened to you that your kids want less playtime and more studying? Unfamiliar right? Well, for obvious reasons, more playtime means more happy faces in the classroom.

But who says that playtime cannot be sneaked in with some learning? You can introduce your kids to several reading games in the classroom that will not only help in developing their reading skills but also help in their overall development. 

Researchers in the UK in 2011 conducted a study that suggested introducing educational games in the classroom increases motivation among young learners.

Incorporating literacy games in the classroom has become increasingly popular as they make learning more enjoyable and enhance retention and comprehension. However, the benefits don’t stop there as they also improve the social skills of young learners. 

If you are also looking for some reading games for your kids, here are the 10 best reading games for primary learners that can be included in your lesson plans without too much effort. 

Ready to make your classroom the place where fun and learning collide faster than toddlers at a bouncy castle? Let's dive in!

Memory Match Game

One of the simplest yet effective reading games in classroom

 for literacy development is the Memory Match Game. The game focuses on sight words helping the little ones with word recognition skills.

Preparation: Index cards and colorful pens to write words and arrange them in an upside-down manner.

What to do: In this game, players flip over cards to find matching pairs. For primary learners, you can tailor the game to focus on sight words — those high-frequency words that young readers encounter frequently. By associating the written word with its visual representation, children reinforce their literacy skills.

Benefits of Memory Match Game

• When the children match sight words, their ability to recognize these words quickly in context. It encourages visual memory and recognition. 

• It helps students to retrieve the correct word from memory by linking the written word to its meaning.

Pro Tip: You can begin the game with simple words and level it up according to the grade you are teaching. This game can also be adapted with rhyming words or synonyms to broaden vocabulary and make learning more dynamic.

Book Bingo

Book Bingo is a delightful reading games in classroom

 that encourages reading diversity. Create bingo cards with various reading challenges. Each square represents a different reading task, such as “Read a book about animals” or “Read a book with a blue cover.” This game is perfect for encouraging students to diversify their reading habits. 

Preparation: Bingo cards with different fun and quirky commands written on them. This is a long-term activity so you need to give time to the students to complete each task. A specific time in a day can be dedicated to the activity. You can also make the cards challenging depending on your students' reading level. 

Benefits of Book Bingo

• It prompts students to explore different genres like mystery, fantasy, non-fiction, etc broadening their literary horizon.

• This game can also challenge them to read different formats of stories including long-form, short stories, picture books, etc. 

• It can help in introducing the students to different authors and writing styles. 

Pro Tip: introduce a reward system for completing these challenges to further motivate your students to engage with a variety of texts. 

Sight Words Go Fish

Adapting the classic Go Fish reading games in classroom

 to include vocabulary word pairs can significantly boost literacy skills. This game encourages students to read and match words, enhancing their ability to recognize sight words. Additionally, the same cards can be used for a Memory Match game, doubling the fun and learning opportunities.

Preparation: Index cards and colorful pens to write words and distribute them among students. 

What to do: Similar to standard Go Fish, in Sight Words Go Fish, players alternately ask each other if they have any cards of a specific kind. The end goal is to gather cards of the same kind.

Benefits of Sight Go Words Fish

• Children reinforce knowledge and pronunciation by reading aloud the words while they play. 

• Their reading comprehension is improved by matching words that are identical.

Snakes and Ladders with a Twist

Turn the snakes and ladders board reading games in classroom

into a fun opportunity for reading practice by incorporating the sight words in the game. This game helps develop the reading and pronunciation of words. 

Preparation: Add sight words on a basic snakes and ladders board that can be read by students when they progress through the game. 

What to do: When a student reaches any word on the board, they have to read it aloud. 

Benefits of the game

• As students progress on the board, they encounter different sight words that help in the recognition of words

• Reading each word aloud reinforces pronunciation and comprehension. 

• The element of chance keeps the game exciting.

Pro Tip:  If a player misreads a word, provide gentle correction. This ensures that mistakes become learning opportunities.

Word Search Challenges

Creating themed word searches is a simple yet effective way to gamify reading as it helps in recognizing common words. 

Pro Tip: You can tailor the difficulty level according to different age groups. It promotes inclusive learning, helps direct vocabulary growth, and focuses on particular subjects. 

Find the Word

It is a slightly advanced reading games in classroom

where your young learners are engaged in comprehending the words and their synonyms. It not only helps them understand the text better but also learn new words. This activity makes reading more fun and helps students know more words.

What to do: Give your students a passage and then read out a word. Then ask the students to find the synonym of the word. 

Interactive online platforms and literacy apps

There are a plethora of literacy apps available for young learners that can help with their reading, spelling, writing, and comprehension skills. You can also choose some subscription-based platforms that can customize the learning experience as per the grade you are teaching. 

To know more about such apps in detail, you can visit the compiled list of top literacy apps for primary school here. 

Story-based Adventure Games

Interactive stories are among the best ways to engage your little ones. It not only keeps them engrossed in the tale but also teaches them that choices are an important part of life as each choice has a consequence.

You can tell stories to your students using choice-based mechanics which encourages them to read and understand the narrative more thoroughly. 

Puzzle Solving for Vocabulary Expansion

Puzzle Solving introduces kids to new words. Crossword puzzles, anagrams, and word searches are like brain workouts with linguistic benefits. And who can stop your little ones when it gets a bit challenging?

Benefits of Puzzle Solving

• It encourages problem-solving skills from a young age as the students crack codes and fit pieces together, they flex their mental muscles. 

• It also helps with logical thinking skills while enhancing the language skills. 

Educational Role-Playing Games (RPGs)

Whether it be Halloween or fancy dress parties, who doesn’t like to dress up as their favorite characters? How about bringing this element of adventure into education? Your students can turn into time-traveling historians, math-solving detectives, or grammar-slaying knights.

You can pick anything and rest assured that the classroom will be filled with laughter with a meaningful lesson being taught at the end. 

Conclusion

If you'd like to see your child engage in such fun activities while improving their reading and writing skills, check out FunFox's Readers Club and Writers Club. 

We believe it was helpful for you to know all of these games. You can modify or enhance any of these games based on your students and their interests. Educational games are a powerful tool for learning. They turn challenging lessons into exciting adventures, making learning feel like playtime. By including these games in our classrooms, we can offer students an enjoyable way to learn and grow academically and personally. 

To explore more such activities, visit FunFox and find more ways to keep your young ones engaged while learning and ensure that they develop a genuine interest in reading and learning.