DIY Alphabet Game

What this means is that their brain has a difficult time retaining and recognizing symbols such as letters and numbers. Many of these kids will need extra help with a reading specialist. One of our favorite programs is Seeing Stars, but there are many games and activities that you can do at home. We created this Alphabet Game for a young boy who is struggling with remembering his letters. Games like this can really pave the road for creating fluent readers.

Materials for the Alphabet Game:

Colored index cards
White index cards
Markers
If you don’t have index cards you can download flashcards here.
Colored dice (Dice template) or regular number dice
Paint, glitter, stickers, etc. (optional)

Instructions for the Alphabet Game:

Make a set of alphabet cards and number cards. You can use colored index cards or use our alphabet flashcards.
If you are using colored index cards make sure to make the letters on the different colored cards. For example: “a” on a red card, “b” on a yellow card, “c” on a blue card, “d” on a green card. Repeat the pattern for the rest of the alphabet.
Make the numbers on white cards.
Have the kids help by tracing the numbers with squeeze paint, stickers, glitter, etc.
Label one card “START” and another “FINISH”
Make a few white cards with different instructions such as “Go back to start”, “Make a silly face” or “sing a song”.
Lay the cards out with the alphabet in order. Mix the number and other instruction cards among the alphabet cards. If you want to go in numerical order consider counting down from 10. The first time we played we had the order 1-10 and then realized that there wouldn’t be enough cards to go forward.
If your cards are color-coded, use the colored dice. Otherwise, use regular dice with numbers.
Roll the dice and move the marker to the corresponding card. If you land on the alphabet card, trace the letter and say something that starts with that letter.
If you land on a number card go forward that many spaces.
If you land on an instruction card, follow the instructions.
First person to “Finish” wins.

Ways to extend the Alphabet Game:

Turn some of the alphabet cards upside down. Have the children first guess what the letter is, then trace it on the blank side of the card before turning over.
Put toys around the room for the children to collect when they land on a letter. for example, you land on “c” and you then find a car or a toy cat.
When you land on a number card do an action that corresponds to that number. for example, you land on “6”, clap your hands 6 times.
Have the children collect the cards they land on. Then try to make words with the letters that they have collected.