Teach Through Games: Roll & Play

Age level: Preschool
Description: In this game, toddlers can roll a giant colored die, then pick up a card that matches the color the die landed on. Each color is a category, such as counting, colors, or animals. For example, if the die lands on green, the child will pick up a green card (category:animals), they will see a picture of a lion, and underneath the picture it will say “ROAR like a lion.”
Skills & Modifications: Very few modifications are needed for this game because of it’s design. Skill categories included in the game are counting, animal sounds, identifying emotions, one-step directions, color identification, and body part identification. Below are listed additional skills I work on with my learners.

• Matching Colors – Part of the instructions for this game include matching the color you rolled with the color of the card you should pull.
• Picture Comprehension – The red and purple cards included in the game can be used to practice basic picture comprehension. For example, I’ll hold up the red card that shows a girl blowing a kiss and ask my student “What is the girl doing?” or “What is happening in this picture?”
• Motor Imitation – If I am playing it with multiple children, I will also use it as a tool for teaching imitation. To do this, the student who picks the card follows the card’s directions, then all other students have to attend to him and imitate what he did.
• Manding (Requesting) – You can also work on manding with this game by silently waiting until the student requests “my turn,” “roll the dice,” or “pick a card” before continuing on with the game.
• Sorting by Color – I frequently end this game by having students help me sort the cards by color to help in clean up.
• Any skill for early learners – That’s right, any skill! For many students who have mastered the skills addressed by this game, but are still motivated by the game itself I will just create cards to practice those skills. All I have to do is be sure the cards are still organized by category and are backed with one of the colors on the die. For example, in the past I have created my own cards for identifying shapes, identifying familiar people, or for simple addition problems. It’s also a great idea to make your own cards if you are working with multiple students and need to differentiate.

Pros: The game is great for toddlers or low level learners. The rules of the game are easy to follow and it moves at a quick pace. It targets multiple skills, and it mixes up those skills in the game. I also appreciate that the cards fit into a pocket on one side of the di, so it’s easy to store without losing pieces. Finally, the die is very large (6”x6”x6”) so it is easy to manipulate even for students with difficulties in motor skills.
Cons: I do wish there were more cards for each color so that there was more variety for students who have played it multiple times.
Cost: $20 Should I buy this? This is one of my favorite games for low level learners. However, compared to many other games, this one would be pretty easy to create on your own, either by sewing together your own plush die, or created one out of cardboard. That being said, the die included is high quality and has that pocket for stowing away the cards.
ABLLS: C9, C15, D4, D5, D9, D10, D11, D12, D22, D26, G13, G42, K8, K11, L5, L6, L9, M4, R1, Y8
VB-MAPP: Mand 4M, Mand 5M, Tact 2M, Tact 3M, Tact 4M, Tact 5M, Listener 4M, Social 1M, Social 5M, Imitation 1M, Imitation 2M, Imitation 4M, Echoic 1M, Listener 8M, VP-MTS 7M