I have been a teacher for 35 years both in the UK and overseas. I started designing maths games while teaching teachers in Tanzania. I needed games that were quick and simple to play but taught basic number concepts. I design games wherever I see the need, whether for individual children who are struggling with a concept, or simply not finding anything suitable.The original printed sets have been available since 2012, but I have created many more since, as well as improving and updating old one
I have been a teacher for 35 years both in the UK and overseas. I started designing maths games while teaching teachers in Tanzania. I needed games that were quick and simple to play but taught basic number concepts. I design games wherever I see the need, whether for individual children who are struggling with a concept, or simply not finding anything suitable.The original printed sets have been available since 2012, but I have created many more since, as well as improving and updating old one
Rhyme Rummy is a game for 2-5 players, and is played in a similar way to number rummy but is less complicated. The aim of the game is to but down rhyming words and scoring is by words put down. Each of the 24 games (8 at each level) comprises 30 words which have a sound in common (e.g. set 1a all end in –t), so children have to listen hard to the other sounds to identify rhymes. Sets can be mixed and combined in many different ways depending on the needs of the children. For example, sets can be mixed so that sounds have more or less contrast. If it is difficult for a child to hear the differences in the sounds, sets may be mixed so that there are no similarities. For example, instead of using all set 1a words, the “-at” words can be used from 1a, the -“ip” words from 1b, the “-on” words from 1d, the -“eg” words from 1e and the “-uck” words from 1f.
If a child has particular difficulties with one pair of sounds, e.g. “m” and “n”, it can be helpful to just take words ending in these letters.
Set 1: Three-, four- and five- letter phonic words (CVC, CVCC, CCVC, CCVCC) and ch-.
Set 2: Double vowels,-sh, -ch and split digraph (“magic e”) words
Set 3: Vowel digraphs and two-syllable words
Rhyme Rummy is a game for 2-5 players, and is played in a similar way to number rummy but is less complicated. The aim of the game is to but down rhyming words and scoring is by words put down. Each of the 24 games (8 at each level) comprises 30 words which have a sound in common (e.g. set 1a all end in –t), so children have to listen hard to the other sounds to identify rhymes. Sets can be mixed and combined in many different ways depending on the needs of the children. For example, sets can be mixed so that sounds have more or less contrast. If it is difficult for a child to hear the differences in the sounds, sets may be mixed so that there are no similarities. For example, instead of using all set 1a words, the “-at” words can be used from 1a, the -“ip” words from 1b, the “-on” words from 1d, the -“eg” words from 1e and the “-uck” words from 1f.
If a child has particular difficulties with one pair of sounds, e.g. “m” and “n”, it can be helpful to just take words ending in these letters.
Set 1: Three-, four- and five- letter phonic words (CVC, CVCC, CCVC, CCVCC) and ch-.
Set 2: Double vowels,-sh, -ch and split digraph (“magic e”) words
Set 3: Vowel digraphs and two-syllable words
Onset and Rime Follow me:
These games give practice in sounding out words and in building both words and non-words in an enjoyable game situation. The "follow me" cards involve matching beginnings and ends of words (and in discussing whether plausible-looking combinations actually result in real words). So, "c" can be matched with "at" to form "cat", "p" can be matched with "en" to form "pen", and "s" can be matched with "and" to form "sand", for example. But can "c" be matched with "en" or "and"? Sounding out the words that players create and discussing whether the words are real or not helps to build confidence in early readers as well as an understanding of phonics and the sounds of letter combinations.
Set 1: CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) combinations, initial blends, th and ch in the initial position, -ll and -ck
Set 2: Split digraph (magic e), th-, -sh, -oo-, -ng, -nk and -or-
Set 3: -ou-, -oa-, -igh- -ow-, -or-, -ea-, -ai-, -ew, two-syllable —le words.
Phonic Dominoes:
The phonic dominoes are played in the same way as conventional dominoes. Instead of matching dots, these dominoes involve matching sounds (rhymes/rimes with different onsets). So, "rat" can be matched with "hat", "mat" or "pat", for example.
Set 1: CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant), -ll and some initial blends
Set 2: CVC, sh, ch.
Set 3: final blends, -ou-, -oa-, -ai-, -ea-, -ng
