Try These Games for Grades K - 2

Eat Your Words

The reluctant writer of any age often needs to return to the word level.  Make it fun by baking dinner rolls or cookies in the shape of words that mean something to your child.  For example, if he/she loves comic books, bend purchased dough into "Pow!" or "Shazam!"  If it's his/her birthday, bake his/her wish, like "Gameboy II."  (And if all this is too messy, use Play Dough or craft clay for words - but don't eat it.)

Survival

Pretend you are stranded on an island somewhere in your apartment, house, garage, or local park.  You need to write "Help!" so you will be rescued by planes that are searching for you.  You don't have a pencil or paper (and if you did, the writing would be too tiny to be read from the air).  Tie towels around your head and take water (it's hot on the island).  You and your child must survey your surroundings and invent non-pencil ways to write HELP!  If you're in the bathroom, you might make giant letters out of toilet paper (and hope there's no wind).  If you're in the garage, you might find paint and brushes.  If you're in the park, you can always write with your toe in the sand.  Suggest as little as possible, unless your child needs prompting.  This game allows the child who balks at writing to experience the power of a single word when it is used for a reason.  And if your child's imagination is fertile, don't stop at the first idea.  Find as many ways as possible in each room or location.

Flying Messages

You'll need a ball or Frisbee, some tape and paper cut into six 1-1/2 - 2" - wide strips the long way.  Both you and your child should write three commands, one on each strip of paper, that tell the other person to do something physical.  For example, you might write, "Hop on your left foot six times" or "Squeak like a mouse."  Try not to see each other's commands.  Go outside and stand as far apart as your child can toss the ball or Frisbee.  You start the game by taping your first strip to the ball or Frisbee.  Toss it to your child.  He reads the message and follows the instructions.  Then he tapes his first strip to the ball or Frisbee and returns a flying message.  If you don't have a place to play outside or the weather won't cooperate, you can stuff the message in a sock, ball it up, and toss it inside.  (Hint:  Don't play this game on a day when you're pooped.)  In school, a child with learning problems may not connect why ideas in his head need to land on paper and be read.  But when messages fly through the air, affect the other person's behaviour (and especially make him/her look silly), writing makes sense to the child.